KHIV: Blinding Light
by Shadowclaw98
Summary: It has been a year and a half since Xehanort's defeat and life for the Keybearers has finally returned to normal. The worlds have become connected and aware. But something evil lurks in the dark. A man with fearsome intellect and passionate beliefs is turning the cogs of an ancient civilization. Could the Lux Vera group be more terrifying than Xehanort ever was? Rated T.
1. Prologue: A New Era

**Mandatory Long A/N: **Welcome, bitches (I really have to stop calling you that) to the first chapter of a brand new trilogy that I've had in my noggin since about Shade and Riku's trip to the Realm of Darkness back in _**Shadows of the Heart**_.

This will take a while to do. No, I won't be taking world suggestions. I MIGHT be taking OCs, it depends if they can fit. This will be violent and rather dark in places too. Also, updates won't be steady until I'm done with another a fic, which is five chapters away from the end. This purely to whet your appetite.

For the timeline of things this takes place a year and a half after _**Shadow of the Heart**_, and since _**Shadows **_encompasses a year itself, that puts Sora at around 18, Riku at around 19, Kairi at 18, Terra at '20', Aqua at '19', Ven at '15/16' and Shade at 17. I don't know how old Lea would be but, removing his time as a Nobody, I'd place it at mid-20s.

I hope you enjoy it and stick around to the overall end game at KHVI.

Now, go forth!

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Prologue: **A New Era

_**Shade**_

So, you want to hear another story, hmm?

Tough, I'm telling you anyway!

Long ago, a young boy named Sora acquired a Keyblade. He journeyed across the universe to track down the entity known as Kingdom Hearts and defeat the evil Ansem. Who was not the real Ansem, but was Xehanort's Heartless who was also called Ansem.

The real Ansem was named DiZ, but his apprentice Xehanort stole his identity after Master Xehanort possessed Terra.

Who's Terra you ask?

Terra, along with Aqua and Ven, were originally tasked by a man named Master Eraqus to defeat a race of monsters known as the Unversed. They ended up doing battle with Master Xehanort, Braig, who was another apprentice of Ansem (who was DiZ) and Vanitas who is like...the evil side of Ventus.

I know, it's _this _complicated.

After defeating Ansem, who was Xehanort's Heartless, they had to defeat Mansex...Xemnas, who was Xehanort's Nobody. Nobodies are created when a strong willed person becomes a Heartless. They are the empty shells left behind and they don't have feelings, except for when they actually do.

Xehanort wanted to get Kingdom Hearts, so he sent Ansem, the Heartless, back in time to meet Xehanort from the past. Xehanort from the past then travelled to the future to get multiple Xehanort clones for Xehanort from the present. They got to the world of Requiem where they fought Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Lea, Ven and me, along with our friends, for Kingdom Hearts but they were defeat when the X-blade, which is the OG Keyblade, shattered, killing Xehanort, who was not Terra-Xehanort, but a rejuvanated Master Xehanort in the process.

...

...

Oh, and before I forgot, Donald Fauntleroy Duck- yes _that _Donald Duck- was there, too! Cool Innit?.

The Second Keyblade War also had some knock on effects. Despite the insistence that the world order be kept, Sora's travels, and Xehanort's scheming, eventually caused the worlds to become aware of the others. By pooling together technology we have advanced dramatically.

Arc reactors, lasers, space flight etc.

The main peacekeeping organization is a group called the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division, or 'SHIELD'. They were originally from a world called Earth but are now in preliminary talks with the new government.

We've recently found a place called Asgard too. Or, I should say Sora, Kairi and Riku found a big, sexy blonde guy called Thor. We should tell you about it some time. In, say an Anthology or something.

Hint, hint.

The main 'government' per se, is the United World Alliance who ensure that threats don't get too out of hand. We don't want a repeat of Xehanort again.

Honestly? Although Yen Sid was against the idea, it's been _really_beneficial. Imagine what would have happened if the worlds knew about Xehanort? The lives that could have been saved.

As for us, we have our own lives to live in peace now.

It's great, really, just...hard to adjust.

And with Aqua's warning from wherever the hell she was...well...I don't think it will last.

-*IV*-

_**Destiny Islands, Riku's House**_

_**Shade**_

I looked out at the morning sky. It was dark, what with it being four in the morning, but it was peaceful. It was bright enough for the birds to start chirping at least. It was summer on Destiny Islands and the nights were warm, considerably warmer than Subeta, my homeworld.

As you could tell I was unable to sleep. Not because of the heat, I'd lived here since Xehanort's defeat a year ago, the heat was no longer a problem. No, it was more the dreams. I struggle to sleep as it is and, while the nights don't bother me as such, I'd rather sleep than wait for the sun to show up. Unfortunately said dreams wouldn't let me. Said dreams would rather remind me of stuff I'd rather forget.

Said dreams also make a girl cranky when they prevent her from sleeping. I stretched, yawning and went back to bed, scratching my behind in a very unlady-like fashion. I looked at Riku, snoring his head off.

I smiled, wondering how he was able to sleep considering everything he'd been through himself. Slipping next to him, I grabbed the remote and looked for any sort of film on the TV. I flicked through the channels, finally settling on a zombie film.

"Ugh, this is like Serenity all over again," I muttered watching the humans old out on a bridge.

There was a guy in the bottom of the screen, one of those guys that do signing for the deaf. I stared at him. Maybe is my delusional side speaking but he looked at me in a patronizing fashion as he signed, almost saying; 'isn't it about time you slept? The deaf people have been waiting all night for this film, you could've watched it earlier.'

I rolled my eyes, giving him the finger. Great, I was swearing at the TV now.

"I need a drink," I sighed to myself.

Grabbing some PJ shorts (I had underwear and a shirt on, don't worry) I snuck my way to the kitchen and got a coke. Then I made myself a sandwich, like regular seventeen year olds do at four in the morning.

As I ate I grabbed yesterday's newspaper. I flicked through the pages too fast. What was that on page seven? I flicked back a few pages, almost choking on my drink.

'**Lux Vera gains traction in La Cité des Cloches**' it said in bold black letters.

On it was a picture of a man with sheet white hair and a charismatic, proud smile on his face as he embraced a gypsy boy and girl, presumably converts. I'd never met the man, but by researching him on the internet, I knew his name was Zero; the several proclaimed 'Prophet of Kingdom Hearts'.

His group, Lux Vera, were a religion (or a cult, depending on your point of view) that worshipped the big ol' heart as a deity and giver of light. They were practically unheard of before Xehanort's defeat, a nomadic tribe of a thousand at most, but now they had shown up out of nowhere proclaiming knowledge and salvation to the...'blind sheep of the dark' as Zero once put it.

Given my 'condition' I had taken a disliking to the man.

What didn't help was this man was apparently going to do something unspeakably evil to the worlds.

Hey, don't look at me. Aqua said some demi-god took her to magical dead city and a crystal ball showed her the future!

I sighed and closed the paper, deciding to go back to bed. I can worry about this in the morning.

"Ah, crap!" I shouted, headbutting the fridge as I put my half eaten sandwich in it. It was the birthday of Sora's little sister today and we had to be up early. Kairi's dad was unveiling something too. "Uuugh why can't you sleep at night, Shade?"

Whining slightly I made way back to bed. At least I still had...three hours to attempt sleep.

-*IV*-

**(The Master Vainglorious- Doctor Who theme)**

"People of Midgar," Zero cried to the slums of this particular Sector. Many of the poor and down-trodden immediately turned to him. Zero couldn't help but smile. "I see you all, suffering incomprehensibly. It has been ten years since the Shin-Ra Electric Company fell. Ten years since Rufus Shinra was killed. The government of the city promised a town like Radiant Garden, a utopia where everyone is treated fair and equal, a utopia where people don't have to live in this filth!"

He paused, surveying the disgruntled faces of the adults and wide-eyed, curious children. "Where is this utopia? Where is this paradise that Midgar was promised to become? Is _this_" he pointed the run down apartments, the urine and rubbish strewn streets. "The utopia? Is the odd meal every week the utopian dream?"

Disgruntled murmurs filled the street. Zero mentally smiled. Now to reel them in. "You people struggle and squirm in the darkness. Those people up there." He pointed dramatically at the central spire, the former HQ of Shin-Ra. "The people in the penthouses and the offices and mansions take everything from you because they can. They live in greed and gluttony, taking the bread from your children's mouths! Do they care about the utopia you were promised?"

The shouts were music to Zero's ears. These poor people, living without a faith, no one to watch over them. They needed guidance, a rock to let them know they are looked after. Zero could give them that. He had to. It was his duty as the Prophet. He motioned to the pink and blue haired woman to his left, Lambdadelta.

She nodded, handing out warm food and drink with the other members. Children and women first. Then the men.

"Lux Vera can look after you," Zero continued. "Already we have Children of the Heart on countless worlds, spreading our message of unity, strength and peace. Unity in the face of corruption! Strength in the face of darkness! Peace instead of war and danger! Lux Vera can give you warmth and security! I have seen the state of things to come! I know the dangers that this growing universe will face. And I pray for the souls of you all. We may have different beliefs and personalities, but we are all human. We all have families. We have people we care about. Join Lux Vera! Join the One Light, the almighty Kingdom Hearts! Join my family so that we may care and protect each other against the darkness and the evil that it creates!"

The cheering and uproar of the crowd was enough. People of different ages and ethnicity came towards him. And Zero blessed them all, hugging them, holding their hands, giving them the feeling of comfort they deserved, the family that they needed.

Zero smiled warmly.

There were things he was going to do for these people.

Great things.

Things were about to change in this universe, the connected universe.

A new age was dawning.

Whether the Keybearers liked it or not.

* * *

**Second A/N: **And that's the prologue. This probably won't gain much traction until my _**Sonic **_fic is done. That should be a couple of weeks, there's just five chapters to go on that. But, yeah. Leave a review. Reviews a nice. At least I know I'm writing _for _people and not _at _people. That's a nice feeling :3


	2. 1) The Check Up

**A/N: **Why are the first couple of chapters so difficult? -.- Not that I don't know what I'm doing, I do for once. But still. Setting the stage is hard. *sigh*

So, what do the major _Kingdom Hearts_ games do? Have an overly long 'normal' beginning!

Slight edit to the established continuity, the warrior Zack looked up to in the Olympus Coliseum was Genesis. It shall be explained below. Also, since I don't have Crisis Core and I'm not that far into FFVII, the backstory is mostly altered from the wiki.

Oh, word of note; Gaia is the world where Radiant Garden is. It contains a hodge podge of cities and areas from the various _Final Fantasy _games.

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Brave New World

**01: **The Check Up

_**Destiny Islands**_

_**Shade**_

"Mio..."

I moaned sleepily, batting away the hand that shook me.

"Mio...get up!"

"No! I wanna sleep," I grumbled.

I heard Riku sigh. It was his impatient sigh. "Mio, stop attacking like a kid."

"I-I can't get up," I said as cutely as I could, snuggling myself in the covers for good measure. "A mean man shot me."

A shirtless Riku stared at me with a raised eyebrow. "Alright, you asked for it." he shrugged, ripping the covers off me.

"Noooooo!" I whined, thrashing around on the bed.

Riku stood over me. ...Aaaaabs. "Have you quite finished?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied, sitting up and immediately grabbing the nearest hairbrush. "So, what's the plan?" I asked through a yawn.

"Well," Riku replied, putting a sleeveless black shirt, then that yellow jacket of his. "Hikari's birthday party is this morning, then Kairi's dad has this statue...thing to unveil."

"What sort of statue?" I asked, my back to him as I put my AC/DC shirt.

"Don't know, really. Kairi says it's some modern art piece but the local gossip is they found it in one of the caves on the coast."

"Sounds fun," I laughed, trying to ignore the monotony of the day.

"That was sarcasm wasn't it?" Riku asked with a smile, hugging me.

"Maaaybe," I replied playfully. He wasn't mad. To be honest I think he understood. When I was training with him, fighting against Neo Organization XIII, life was so...exciting! Never a dull moment. Now it's just...shop, watch tv, eat, work at the café Selphie's mom owns, so _dull! _I sighed, and fiddled with Riku's fringe. "If you're gonna grow it long, you'd best keep it tidy. Theeeere we go."

Riku laughed, kissing me. "Shall we?"

We said bye to Riku's mom and she waved us off. Lovely woman, she's got a lot better with her diabetes. Together we strolled down the sundrenched streets. The people of Destiny Islands were always friendly, there were hardly any arguments or conflicts and those rare arguments were always settled peacefully. Tidus and Wakka were playing in the blitzball court, as usual. They'd managed to go pro now, Selphie being their biggest fan.

Before long we reached Sora's house. It was a quaint place, a sandstone colour with a red roof like the rest of the place. Multi-coloured balloons and streamers lined with walls and doorframe and cheesy pop music could be heard from inside.

"Riku, Shade!" Sora exclaimed from the doorway.

"Hey," Riku said, bracing himself for the inevitable hug.

"It's great to see you!" Sora yelled...yup, there was the hug. "How are you both?"

"We're good," Riku said.

"How's things with you and Kairi?" I asked with a sly wink.

"I-It's good!" Sora replied, flustered with a slight blush. "G-Great, really."

Riku laughed. "Bring up Kairi and he's speechless."

"Hehe. Now, where's the birthday girl?" I asked.

Sora chuckled, bringing us inside, Kairi greeting us on the way. In the middle of the living room floor, surrounded by a river of wrapping paper was Hikari, Sora's little sister. She was the most _adorable _thing ever. Bonnie face, her brown hair in short pigtails and her bright blue eyes gazing at every gift she had with wide amazement.

I'll admit. After spending four years being tortured by Xehanort's Organization XIII, I'm a little jealous.

Hikari squealed with delight when she saw Riku and I. Riku smiled, crouching. "Look what we got for you."

He gave her a rather large wrapped box. I watched her unwrap with the grace of an excited puppy, ripping it apart until a pink box with a large Happiny teddy remained. She gasped.

"Ankuu!" she said, giving the teddy to Sora's mom.

"You should see what Lea got her," Kairi said dryly, pointing to a huge grey teddy bear sat in the corner of the room.

And when I say huge, I don't mean bigger-than-average, I mean up to my freaking waist!

Riku and I sighed in unison, sitting to enjoy the party.

-*IV*-

_**Destiny Islands, Plaza**_

After a few hours Hikari decided she wanted to nap, leaving the four of us to head out to the unveiling of this statue. Once we got the local delicacy, Paopu Fruit ice cream (yum!), we took our time and talked about what to do the coming week. By which I mean, argued in a friendly manner.

"I don't know," Sora said after a while, giving an exasperated sigh.

"We could build a raft? For old times' sake?" Kairi suggested.

"Oooh, that sounds fun!" I smiled.

Riku and Sora weren't convinced.

"We could give Yen Sid a visit?" Riku asked. "See if any worlds need help? Things have been a bit too quiet for a while."

Kairi and I looked at each other with awkward faces. As much respect as we had for Master Yen Sid, he was a little unnerving. I mean, his attack eyebrows for one are enough to put off anyone.

Kairi sighed. "Alright," she said, like her ice cream. "But he didn't do anything the last time we went," she added, doing an impression of him. "'You must be vigilant, young Keybearers. Darkness lurks where you least expect.'"

We both burst out into laughter.

"That was pretty good," Sora said through heaving breaths.

"Thanks," she giggled in reply.

"I still don't understand _why_we haven't gone against Zero yet," I sighed.

"I've _told _you why," Riku said. "We can't just go around attacking without proof, it isn't what the Keyblade stands for."

"Still a good idea," I muttered, joining the growing crowd at the centre of the plaza.

The Mayor, Kairi's father, was short, stout man with glasses that made his brown eyes comically huge. He was in a brown suit and his wife, a tall, slender woman with dark red hair and the warmest smile ever. How he'd tapped that was a mystery to everyone. Regardless of how odd the couple looked together, they were highly respected and well thought of. No one had a bad word to say about them at all.

"People of Destiny Islands, thank you for coming," the Mayor announced to the crowd. "I think you for coming here today as we unveil part of our world's history! I know that we are but a small world compared to those of Gaia and Gran Pulse, but now I shall share with you part of our islands' rich and mysterious history!"

I small drum roll and fanfare could be heard as the Mayor and his wife pulled down the fall.

"I thought you said it was modern art?" Sora asked Kairi

"That was a suggestion," Kairi replied taking a picture of it on her phone.

"So...what is it?" I asked.

The statue, or whatever the hell it was, was tall and thin. Seemingly made from metal, though it was the weirdest metal I've ever seen, it twisted around itself in a spiral, with a thin blue crystal like structure running down the middle of it.

"No idea," Kairi replied after inspecting it.

Regardless the crowd applauded, even if they did murmur in confusion about what it was.

Sora looked as though he was about to say something but was interrupted by his phone. "Hello? Mhmm...Mmmhmm. Oh, cool! We'll be there as quick as possible! Right, Leon. See you soon!" He turned to us after ending the call. "Leon says he wants to have a talk with us about something. Terra, Aqua, Ven and Lea will meet us there."

I won't lie. It was good to know something different was happening today. So, like giddy school children, we ran off to the place where we parked the Gummi Ship.

-*IV*-

_**Radiant Garden**_

The Gummi Ship touched down on the edge of the town. We stepped out onto the purple rock, all of us gazing up at the mighty stone wall that surrounded the town. I couldn't help but look up in awe at the majestic sight. The tips of the castle's tallest spires could be seen peaking over the wall. Travelling salesmen and saleswomen were filing in and out of the city from the other places on this world. Things seemed to be looking up for Radiant Garden finally.

We entered the massive gates, taking in the breathtaking lower town. The grey cobbles and wooden housing that littered the sides of the walls were now once again fountains and hanging gardens. True to its name, the city was bright and beautiful and the crumbling, twisted mess of the castle was now tall and grand, fully restored to its former glory, casting a calming, warm presence like a guardian to its people.

"It's hard to believe that this is the same world," Riku smiled.

"Aqua said to meet them by the foundry," Kairi said, pointing at a large factory in the distance.

"I wonder how Leon and the others are doing?" Sora asked as we set off.

The Foundry that Kairi had pointed to was the main export and manufacturing area of the city. It wasn't a foundry per se, more of an entire district dedicated to building. Unlike the rest of the town it was very steampunk in design, having large bronze pipes and machinery ruining throughout it, hissing and pumping, with cranes towering over the warehouses and railways crisscrossing the district, with the echoes of machinery resonating through the district.

The main thing that stood out was a large, partially built spaceship. Even though it wasn't completed, it towered over the city. The design was...odd, unlike the slim, sleek depictions of spaceships in films, this ship looked like a huge assault rifle with engines. I didn't know _why_ the ship was being built, rumour has it that SHIELD had asked for it to be built. But that's just rumour.

Aqua, Terra, Ven and Lea were waiting by a small red brick building that was used to stores the trains. With them were Kara, Kaede, Yuki and my faithful NeoShadow-disguised-as-a-human, Midori. You remember him right? From my little Heartless posse? Good times.

"...the monster towered over us and..." Ven was in the middle of saying just he noticed us. "Hey, it's Sora and the others!"

"Hey guys!" Sora shouted, bro-fisting Ven, Terra and Lea, then hugging Aqua warmly.

"Glad you could make it," Lea said with a smile.

"Oh, my God, Kairi, it's so good to see yooou!" Kaede squealed as she and Kairi hugged and jumped up and down with glee. "How've you beeen?~"

"We've been fine," Kairi laughed, a lot more composed than the pink haired girl. "You?"

"We've been great!" Kaede said with a smile. "Even Yuki's become nicer now that she and Midori have been spending 'quality time' together."

I sent a sly grin to Midori, who looked away slightly, Yuki blushing. "Tell me more." I giggled.

"Nothing to tell," Midori grunted.

That didn't stop me running over and teasing him though, leaving Riku and Kara stood there awkwardly.

For those of you who don't know, or have terrible memory, or just don't want to look at our previous adventures, Kara, Kaede, Yuki and Midori are a hodge podge mix of mercenaries. Kara, the leader, met Sora, Kairi and Lea in Bloomingdale during their search for the Keyholes of Requiem. His fashion sense leaved a lot to be desired, mainly consisting of leather armour covered by a dramatic trench coat. He was a nice man with wild brown hair and dark brown eyes, a snarky attitude but a heart of gold. He was a weapons-smith, most of his arsenal he designed himself and he was now leading this spaceship project.

Kaede, the pink haired girl, was Kara's close friend. No, they aren't together, she's gay. Kaede was a peppy young woman who would never turn anyone away, mostly like due to discrimination she suffered from when she was younger. She acted as a big sister to everyone and was always up for a laugh. She was in a black sleeveless shirt that had a white imprint of an angel wing on the front that partially exposed her belly, a brown leather jacket and tattered jeans that were covered in various ammo pouches. Although it wasn't shown I knew she'd had a black bleeding heart tattooed on her upper arm, a reminder of the lover she lost on Requiem.

Yuki was 'officially' Kaede's younger sibling. She was an expulsion of Kaede's rage, a 'Shadow' of her if you will, and as such looked strikingly similar. The main difference was the hair, Yuki's being purple and spiked slightly with a pink fridge, the polar opposite of Kaede's. Since Requiem she had taken a surprisingly motherly role among the group, weirdly being a hit with young children. Yeah, I know. She wore a blue tank top and twin shotgun-gauntlets on her wrists (Kara's design), with torn black leathery pants and armoured boots to top it off.

Lastly was Midori, my second in command. After Yen Sid gave him a human form he became quite the handsome fella, strong jaw, windswept black and green hair. The only thing that gave him away were his eyes, which were still gold with black sclera, and the blue markings down his arms. He wore simple jeans and a white buttoned shirt.

"So, what brings you here?" Kara asked when everyone had said their hellos.

"Just business," Riku replied with a shrug. "Leon wants to see us, but we don't know why." He looked at Aqua, who shook her head. "We were just told meet them," she replied. "They mentioned some strange distress call they wanted us to look at."

"Well, best not keep them waiting," I said, pointing dramatically at their direction. "This way!"

"Wrong," Kara deadpanned. I spun the opposite direction. "Now you got it. Oh, before you go, can I interest you in any of these little ladies."

He pulled out a leaflet with a picture of a shotgun on it, handing it to Kairi. "'Just in now; laser shotguns'," she read. "'Pew, pew, mother'...o-oh, that's...direct."

"We'll...think about it," Terra said, as we head off to the Restoration Committees house.

-*IV*-

_**Radiant Garden, Borough, Merlin's House**_

The Restoration Committee, now the de facto governing body of Radiant Garden given the fact that its king was still missing, were just about to sit down for dinner when we arrived. Luckily, Aerith has a habit of making huge amounts of food so we got a free meal. Mine was spent mostly trying to steal Yuffie's and Yuffie trying to steal mine. Of course we were all hugged and welcomed warmly by everyone, except Cloud who just gave this grunt of acknowledgement. He seemed to be in one of emo moods.

"So, what's up?" Sora asked starting his second helping of lasagne.

"The usual," Leon replied. "Trying to get everyone into a semblance of normality, we've been keeping an eye on Lux Vera too, but we can't really pin much on them. Despite some..._dubious_ dealings in the past, there's nothing concrete to pin on Zero."

"And since you guys are all looked up to you can't go around randomly attacking people," Tifa sighed.

"Have you seen the man?" Lea asked, eyebrow raised.

"That's what it'll look like," she replied with a shrug.

"What about Zack?" Aqua asked, a little too bluntly. Aerith, who was washing up in the kitchen, dropped a plate at the mention of his name.

Everyone looked around, unsure of what to say. "There's been no word," Cloud said simply.

"Are you sure you didn't just _imagine _Zack?" Yuffie asked, earning a glare from Aqua. "I-I mean you said they made a Replica of this Terra girl, what stopped them from making one of him?"

"Firstly, Terra was made by Herald," Aqua said sternly. "Second, I just know it was the real Zack, alright?"

We sat there in silence. I burped quietly. "S'cuse me...um...w-who is this Zack person to you guys anyway?"

The Restoration Committee all turned to Cloud and Tifa. Tifa looked at Cloud. "Do you want me to tell them?"

Cloud shook his head, resting his chin on his hands. "Zack...Zack was a good friend of mine. We worked for the Shin-Ra Electric Company, but in different divisions; I was a regular infantryman while Zack managed to become one of Rufus' elite; a SOLDIER."

"Aren't infantrymen and soldiers the same thing?" Sora asked.

"No. SOLDIER were the best of the best. Zack was inspired after watching a man named Genesis fight in the Olympus Coliseum. That was shortly after he met you three as well," he added, looking at Terra, Aqua and Ven. "After Radiant Garden fell Zack and I, along with a small troop, went to make sure Nibelheim's was alright. Sephiroth was a general in the Shin-Ra forces, as well as a SOLDIER, and went with us. Then he mad."

"How...?" I asked.

I was shushed by Tifa. Cloud continued. "Sephiroth learned of the involvement of a creature called Jenova in SOLDIER. He destroyed Nibelheim in a rage and fled. Zack and I, along with the other survivors, were captured by Shin-Ra's chief scientist, Professor Hojo." The way Cloud said that man's name was unreal. Disgust, hatred...shame, all filled his voice. "Hojo was experimenting with Jenova. It destroys worlds. He injected Zack and I with its cells, but the darkness Xehanort unleashed had changed them into something else. We were kept there for years, I don't know how long exactly...but Zack escaped and took me with him. He defeated Genesis and then took us both to Midgar to meet Aerith again."

Cloud was visibly trying to hold back tears here. It was shocking, to be honest. This man was normally so strong and no-nonsense. It was hard. "Shin-Ra were coming after us though and ambushed us before we reached Midgar. He...didn't make it."

Oh. So that's why Aerith...damn.

"I-I'm sorry," Aqua said solemnly.

Cloud shook his head. "Sephiroth then tried to reconnect with Jenova, he thought it was his mother. We stopped him, before he could destroy this world using the Black Materia. During the fight Sephiroth got blasted by the darkness in my heart, which is why he's 'connected' to me. But he never found Jenova. We don't know where Shin-Ra hid it."

We sat there, not entirely sure of what to say. Suddenly screams and blasts of magic were heard outside. My Heartless side screamed at me in warning. Sora and Riku were already out of the door, followed by Leon, Cloud and Tifa. I summoned my Keyblade.

"I'll stay with Yuffie, Cid and Aerith," Kairi said, _Destiny's Embrace _in hand. "We'll hold the borough! Go!"

"On it!"


	3. 2) Some Things Never Change

**A/N: **Brain and Reasoning like to argue a lot. Brain was like, 'why, that horror/murder mystery thing sounds like a great idea!'. Then Reasoning was like 'No, we have three stories already and are terrible at updating on time!'. Then Brain said 'Imma write it!'. Reasoning was like 'DON'T WRITE IT!'. Brain: 'Too late! :3'

And that's how my new fics start. Hint hint.

In all serious though, this one was surprisingly hard to get out. But, hey...Sephiroth's here.

**NOTE: **RIP to Leonard Nimoy. You will be sorely missed. Even you played a complete psychopath in this serious.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Brave New World

**02: **Some Things Never Change

_**Haven, Governor's Office**_

"I must thank you for your technology," the Governor thanked, eyeing a new crate of swords and guns. "Perhaps we can finally hold off Shin-Ra for more than a couple of days."

"The pleasure's all mine, Huxter," Zero said. "Anything that can stop them creating another Sephiroth I'd be happy to help with."

Huxter smiled and shook Zero's hand. Zero smiled, his communicator bleeping. It was Lambda. "I'm afraid I have to cut this meeting short, Huxter."

Zero bowed, then headed out to the balcony overlooking the nearby temple. "Lambda, talk to me."

Lambda stood on an out of the way rooftop in Radiant Garden, cloak on and hood up to conceal her. "Just a Heartless attack at the moment. Nothing unusual."

"And? Is Cloud around?"

"Yeah, he's busy slaying Shadows like it was going out of fashion," Lambda replied, sipping a can of Pepsi. "But there isn't any sign of Sephiroth."

"Right..." Zero said, thinking over the plan. "Keep an out, Sephiroth's obsession with Cloud is almost as bizarre and as strong as the one with Jenova."

"Of course, my Lord," Lambda replied. "Oh..."

"Oh?"

Lambda ran to another roof for a better look. Fighting alongside Cloud were three of the Keybearers. "Sora's here. And with the other Keybearers it seems."

Zero couldn't help but smile. "Perfect."

-*IV*-

**(Scherzo di Notte- KH 2.5)**

_**Radiant Garden**_

_**Shade**_

This, _THIS _was what made life fun.

We had headed down near the marketplace, it was bigger now encompassing several streets. But now wasn't the time for sightseeing. As you can probably tell Heartless had shown up to cause trouble. Or give us a break from the boredom. I know what I thought. The Heartless were of the stronger Emblem types, most of them were...'natives' of the world; Wizards, Surveillance Robots, that sort of thing.

"Heads up!" Sora yelled, leaping over me and taking out a Morning Star.

"Thanks," I said, quickly blocking a Defender. I grabbed its shield, the face on it growling angrily. I growled back, yanking the shield forward, causing the Defender to stumble. Riku finished it off with a Thundaga.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Riku groaned. "Don't aggravate what is trying to kill you!"

I grabbed his shoulder, vaulting of him and firing off several Blizzaga Shots at a row of Neo Shadows. "Says that guy that spent his early career pissing off Organization XIII!"

Riku launched a Dark Firaga at a group of Dual Blades, angering them. "Uh oh."

"Yeah, I believe this is called irony," I said smugly, turning to run.

"Shut up, Mio!" Riku said sternly, following me.

"Is this a regular thing with you guys now?" Sora asked as we retreated.

-*IV*-

_**Aqua**_

Terra, Ven and I were near the reactor. It had been a long time since we'd been here. Our last proper 'visit', if you could call it that, was when we fought the Trinity Armour and I wouldn't say I had fond memories of that. The Heartless here were exceptionally powerful, most of them being Darkballs and those annoying Crimson Jazz things.

"Goddamn it!" Terra yelled as he was thrown upwards by the a series of fireballs.

He landed in an Aeroga that Ven cast, quickly dashing into a group of Darkballs and firing off Flare. I fired off several Thundagas, stunning the Crimson Jazzes and allowing Ven to kill them with a well placed Faith spell.

"Good work, Ven!" I cheered, taking down a Defender.

Ven grinned, taking out some more Darkballs. Terra and I looked at each, smiling. He'd grown a lot this past year though, admittedly, the majority of his skills he'd remembered from his time in Sora's heart. But there was still something that needed work...

Ven turned to face the next lot, freezing up. They were Neo-Shadows.

One of them lunged at him, claws outstretched. I pulled Ven back as Terra slammed his _Ends of the Earth _into the Heartless. It stumbled, holding its face in pain. It looked at its friends then glared at Terra. The group all lunged at us, slashing wildly. Terra and I began shielding Ven from their attacks, casting Blizzard and Earth spells at them.

Soon the Neo Shadows were gone, along with much of the Heartless. We stood there, panting a little.

"...I-I'm sorry..." Ven finally said.

"It's not your fault," Terra told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It'll take time, but you'll get through it."

Ven nodded. With the reactor safe we decided to take a breather. I couldn't help but laugh. It was just like our old life at the Land of Departure. Maybe we should find a way to bring that back at some point.

**BOOM!**

We all looked as a massive explosion came from the gates of the castle. Terra's eyes widened. "T-That isn't a normal explosion..."

Right on cue purple flames and smoke rose alongside the smoke. I threw my recently retrieved _Stormfell_ into the air. In a flash of light it transformed into a Keyblade Glider and came back down. Leaping on to it, I flew to the site of the explosion with Terra and Ven behind me.

-*IV*-

_**Shade **_

The thing about Heartless is people think they're dumb beasts. They're not. They are surprisingly smart, the hunger just overwhelms them. And once they get a taste of the Keyblade survival dictates that, for some peculiar reason even _I _haven't figured out yet, they have leap dramatically into the path of said Keyblade.

It just so happened to be one of those things that was incredibly handy to have. One of them threatens a child? Well, bring it here, we'll throw a chunk of ice at it.

"Is it just me or do they seem stronger than usual?" Riku asked, grabbing a Surveillance Robot and using its kickass laser to kill a bunch of Heartless.

"How do you mean?" I asked back, happy-slapping a Wizard to oblivion.

"I get what he means," Sora noted, lobbing several Firagas at a bunch of regular Shadows. "The only time that Heartless here have been stronger than low level Heartless was when Maleficent or the MCP were leading them." He struggled to fight of a divebombing Wyvern, kicking it back then smacking it upside the head. "Oh, and that one time the Organization invaded."

"Tesla?"

"He means the original Organization," Riku corrected, taking out a Tornado Step, only to smacked viciously by a Bookmaster.

"So what you mean, Sora, is..." I said, piercing the skull of the Bookmaster.

"Someone's controlling them, and it's not a Commander," Sora confirmed.

"I'm not entirely sure how to take that," Riku chuckled. "This place seems clear, let's meet up with Leon and the other then-"

**BOOM!**

"_JESUS H CHRIST!_" I yelled, grabbing my head as my Heartless side shrieked. What the hell did this new spike of darkness belong to? I stumbled, Riku and Sora catching me. "S-something powerful's here."

"It's must be at the castle gates," Sora said, staring at the darkness infused smoke and fire rising from its general direction.

With no time to lose Sora and Riku headed over to the gates. I followed, admittedly terrified of the source of the power.

-*IV*-

When we arrived we found Leon, Cloud and Tifa fighting a type of Behemoth. It was large and unlike the regular ones, which were either purple, blue or black and yellow, it was a mix of grey, brown and black. And very, very angry by the looks of it.

"Nice timing," Leon said, managing to block the Behemoth's Thundaga spells with his gunblade.

"If you could help us out, that'd be great," Tifa said, punching the Behemoth in the face with a powerful explosion of energy.

The three of us charged the Behemoth, Sora using its long tusks to climb onto its head. The monster roared in annoyance as Riku and I danced around its feet. It thrashed wildly, trying to crush us underneath it but we managed to counter it with a mixture of Blizzaga and Firaga. The Behemoth growled and prepared to fire off another Thundaga but Sora rammed the _Kingdom Key _into its horn. It roared in pain and charged around as it tried to shake Sora off, leaving Sora to hang on as though his life depended on it. I suppose it did.

"Little help?" Sora cried, clinging to the monsters horn.

Leon and Cloud charged the Behemoth, striking its legs and cutting them open despite its thick hide. The creature stumbled in front of Tifa, Sora rolling off it. She smirked, cracking her knuckles. She proceeded to beat the thing in the face before somersaulting and smashing the heel of her foot into its skull. The Behemoth laying there, dazed and confused, leaving Sora to do a short combo and killing it. The heart inside it flew into the air and disappeared.

I looked around at everyone. "Well that was thrilling."

While we took several ethers and potions Leon called Cid. Apparently much of the Heartless had been killed in a joint attack led by Kara and Kairi. That didn't explain the presence that I was still feeling. And Cloud seemed like he was about to freak out. And where the hell were Aqua, Terra and Ven?

Suddenly a bruised Aqua, Terra and Ven came crashing down on their Keyblade Gliders. Sora and Riku rushed to them immediately, healing them. Cloud readied his Fusion Sword while I tried to focus on the onslaught of darkness I was feeling.

"Leon...he's back," Tifa said in a serious manner, readying herself. Leon nodded as the pair stood beside Cloud.

**(Those Chosen By the Planet- FFVII OST)**

Descending slowly and in overly dramatic fashion was a tall man. He stood out among everyone else, he had a single dark blue angel wing for a start. He wore a long black leather coat that exposed his shirtless chest. It was tattered and frayed at the end and had red trim. His black trousers were tucked into his black boots, said boots looking like those a warrior would wear and his shoulders were covered with armour and his sword was ridiculously long. His hair was long and flowing, matching Xehanort's in colour however the power this man exerted was staggering, way beyond the power Xehanort had even when he had the X-blade. His eyes seemed to pierce into our very beings, but his gazed was focused on Cloud. That didn't stop him smirking over what he did to the Aqua and the others.

He landed with the grace of cat, not taking his eyes of Cloud. "Hello, Cloud," Sephiroth said in a monotone voice.

-*IV*-

Laying on her stomach on a nearby rooftop, Lambda watching in awe through a pair of binoculars. So this was Sephiroth? The rumours of the sheer magnificence of the man were certainly true. Notably no one seemed to be making relaxing in his presence, they were all on guard, on _edge_ even. Even Lambda's stomach was in a knot.

"By the gods..." Lambda whispered, reaching for her communicator. "My lord?"

"What is it, Lambda?" Zero replied over the sounds of gunfire. It seemed that the Remnant was on the offensive again.

"He's here."

"...Good."

-*IV*-

_**Shade**_

I looked at everyone, afraid. Cloud was practically seething with rage and I think the only reason he hadn't attacked yet was due to us being here. I could see Sora's hand shaking slightly as he held his Keyblade. The only one that didn't seem afraid per se was Riku and even he was on edge. I backed up slightly, covering the other three. But I kept thinking...

What the hell was this man in front of me?

"What are you doing here Sephiroth?" Cloud demanded.

Sephiroth? Oh, shit...

Sephiroth merely smirked. "I came to see how you were doing, Cloud."

"Back off, Sephiroth," Leon warned trying to defuse the tension. "We're not in the mood for your games today."

Sephiroth glared, Leon wincing a little. "I thought you had learned your lesson the last time I was here. Tell me, Squall...how is Rinoa doing these days?"

"Leon, don't rise him," Tifa warned.

Sephiroth looked at her and scoffed. Apparently she wasn't worth his time. Ouch.

"What do you want?" Cloud asked again, seething.

"It's strange isn't it? How, on all of these worlds, people can make the same mistakes over and over. That man...Xehanort, was it? He was a prime example. These people are so lost, so...misguided. I doubt even your Keybearer friends can help them." He motioned to us. "How disappointed you must be that the worlds are still in chaos, even with Xehanort dead."

"They're a lot better than they once were!" Sora snapped.

Sephiroth laughed, a cruel, condescending laugh. "You are naive. This universe needs its chosen one to lead it."

"And that's you is it?" I spat.

"Shade, shut up!" Riku hissed.

"No! We went through a lot to beat Xehanort! Granted he didn't have a glaring obvious messiah complex, but he still wanted to be a god! No one like him or you deserve that power!"

Sephiroth's mouth curled into a smug grin. He teleported, before appearing in front of me and grabbing me by the neck, holding me up above him. I choked a little, watching him knock everyone down with a barrage of dark orbs.

"You _don't _believe in gods?" Sephiroth asked, loosening his grip so I could speak.

"I take my chances," I growled.

"Let her go!" Riku yelled, charged Sephiroth. Sephiroth smirked and threw me at him. We landed in a heap.

"Leave them alone, it's me you want!" Cloud shouted, entering a battle stance.

"Actually, it isn't," Sephiroth said. "I came to announce that my ascension to godhood is nearing completion. I've found Mother, Cloud."

"Then we'll stop you both!"

Sephiroth chuckled. "I have no doubt you will. Even it means fighting your old friend."

Cloud blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Hahaha..." Sephiroth laughed as he disappeared. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

**(End 'Those Chosen By the Planet')**

Everything went quiet. I didn't feel any Heartless, but that didn't prevent the worried looks on everyone's faces. On the plus side, aside from some slight bruising from that Shadow Flare attack, everyone was alright. Even Aqua, Terra and Ven.

"It's like Friday nights all over again!" I laughed, getting up.

"I don't remember the headaches being this bad," Riku chuckled as he stood.

"How are you guys?" Sora asked.

"W-we're fine," Ven said. "That guy was...really strong."

"Are you sure you're alright, Ven?" Aqua asked.

"I'm fine, really!" Ven laughed. "You don't need to be so overprotective."

The three older Keybearers laughed and hugged each other. Sora's focus was on Cloud. The poor guy was stood there, looking like he was about to shatter into a thousand shards of glass.

"Cloud, who did Sephiroth mean?" Sora asked.

"That's none of your concern," Cloud said, though it was more of a grunt. "I've got to go, if he's found Jenova then we're all in trouble."

With that Cloud rushed off. Tifa looked at us, then Cloud before running after. "I-I'm sorry, but I need to make sure he's safe!"

Leon sighed. "What a mess. C'mon, we need to find out where Cloud's gone."

-*IV*-

_**Restoration Committee Base**_

"Wha' der ya mean he's gone again?!" Cid yelled.

"Sephiroth showed up and you know what he's like," Sora explained. "Leon said you had a tracker on him?"

"Tracker?" Kairi asked.

"Yup," Yuffie smiled. "Cloud does this a lot so this saves us a lot of trouble."

"Alright, alright..." Cid sighed, going to the large computer at the side of the room. "But when ya find 'im, you git 'im back here! Damn boy's gonna git 'imself killed one day!"

I sat on the sofa and sighed. There wasn't much I could do really. Aqua, Terra and Ven were in the town making sure everyone was alright, Lea had gone to check on the castle and everyone else was waiting for Cid or helping Aerith make soup for the town.

Soup fixes everything apparently.

"Hey, Leon?" I asked after he'd finished a phone call. "Who's Rinoa?"

Leon looked away slightly, a faint blush on his face. "She's a friend."

I tilted my head. "...Ohhhhhh, a 'friend'?" I smiled with a wink. "How long have you been with this 'friend'?"

"A long time," Leon said simply. "Which is why I wanted to make sure she was alright after Sephiroth pretty much threatened her back there."

"How is she?" Aerith asked as she walked in with a trolley of piping hot soup.

"Ooooh," Yuffie and I said, inspecting it, only to have our hands smacked away.

"She's fine, she's finishing up in Traverse Town then she'll be back here this week," Leon said with a relieved smile.

"Found 'im!" Cid yelled, prompting everyone to rush to the screen.

"Ah, gimme some space!" Cid huffed as we crowded him. "He's on Haven."

"Then let's get going," Sora said, turning to the door.

"Wait!" Cid shouted, a little more serious. "Aerith...there's uh...somethin' yer need ter hear."

We all looked at her. She didn't know what he meant. Hesitantly Cid played whatever it was.

"Hello?" came a voice that made every member of the Committee pale. It came over static and gunfire. "This is an SOS from Haven. My name is Zack Fair, repeat, Zack Fair. The Shin-Ra Company are here, they have Jenova. Repeat, they have Jenova. Please send some...ah, _shit! _T-They've found me! Please, come to Haven, we need your help! Who have receives this, please help this world!"

"There he is!" came a gruff voice. "Fire!"

The message cut out after a barrage of gunfire. Everyone stood there, looking like they were about to throw up. Slowly, Leon, Cid and Yuffie turned to Aerith.

"H-How...?" was all she could say.

* * *

**POST CHAPTER A/N: **Now, I know that my updating times are absolutely horrendous. Well, they're gonna get even more so as for the next two weeks I'm on a work placement at a TOY SHOP CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! If I'm could on that I get put on a paid trainneeship for four months if I do well on THAT I get a permanent part time contract there.

What this means is essentially I'm probably only gonna be able to write as and when I have free time that doesn't involve playing _**Bravely Default**. _As a plus, I'm probably gonna be jotting down on the bus and on my breaks but this is it. No making schedules and not sticking, I'm saying, honestly, my updates will not be coherent.


	4. 3) Haven

**A/N: **Oh no! Zayn's left One Direction! How will we ever cope? Oh look, a new boyband to go insane over.

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: Brave New World**

**03: Haven**

_**Radiant Garden, Merlin's House**_

_**Shade**_

After we'd heard the SOS call Aerith sort of freaked out a little, first apologizing about not believing Aqua then entering a crying fit. From what I had gathered Aerith and Zack had a thing going on between them. Obviously Aerith was pretty devastated when Zack had died and he has since become a taboo subject when she's in earshot. This did beg the question of how in the world Zack was back from them dead. ...Or maybe he was a zombie.

I shuddered at the thought.

"Where's Haven?" Sora asked.

"It's one er t' outer worlds," Cid replied, lighting a cigarette. "Shouldn't be too difficult ter get ter though."

"I'll go stock up on everything then," Riku said, heading out to the market, Kairi following suit to let the others know what was going on.

"You two," Leon said gruffly. "Make sure you be careful on Haven. I never fought Jenova myself but, from Cloud said, it's some kind of shapeshifter. I don't want you guys getting hurt."

"We're always careful," Sora smiled.

"I somehow doubt that," Leon smirked.

"I'm feeling the bromance guys," I laughed.

"S-Sora?" Aerith said, walking up to us. "Promise..._promise _me that you'll bring Zack home safe."

Sora looked at her, seeing how much this meant. "I promise."

-*IV*-

_**Gummi Ship**_

We said our goodbyes to everyone then left Radiant Garden in hurry. Aqua went over everything that happened in the Realm Beyond during her coma over the comms to refresh our memory since she, Terra, Ven and Lea were making sure Radiant Garden was alright. Zack, who had apparently hit on her when she was at the Olympus Coliseum (I bet that was a funny moment), was in the Realm Beyond in a similar state to Aqua while his body was being healed. By the sound of it he was a big part of helping Aqua cope with what was going on her time there. She glossed over some bits, something about a dam and giant airship, but she kept emphasizing that he was capable fighter and a very good friend.

He sounded dreamy.

But that did beg the question of why had it taken him so long to get in touch?

"Something must have happened," Aqua said with a shake of her head. "It shouldn't have taken him this long to get back in touch."

"I hope this Jenova thing isn't involved," Kairi sighed.

"You've probably jinxed it now," Riku laughed at the controls.

Aqua chuckled. "You four be careful," she said, then signed off.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Sora asked.

"That fight against Ansem in Hollow Bastion," Kairi said.

"Riku was possessed!" Sora protested.

"The Mark of Mastery," Riku grinned.

"Not my fault!"

"You forgot to seal the Requiem Keyhole in Bloomingdale," I smirked.

"We were in a rush!"

"Marluxia," Riku laughed.

"Ah...who?"

"Never mind."

"Face it, Sora, you're very unlucky," I said, nuggying the spiked mess on his head.

He laughed, grabbing me and nuggying me back. When that was over he went to the CD drawer and flicked through said CDs. He pulled out one of mine. "Who the hell are...'Dimmu Borgir'?" he asked, butchering the pronunciation.

"Symphonic black metal," I replied, grinning deviously. "Wanna put it on?"

Sora looked hesitantly at Riku. Riku looked back. "Don't. You'll only make her hyper."

"Heeey!" I pouted.

"Don't be mean to her, Riku," Kairi laughed, holding me. "Look at her, she's upset."

I looked at Kairi, then Riku and put on my best puppy dog eyes. He didn't look at me. "Rikuuuuu," I whined.

"Not listening, Mio," he laughed.

"But Rikuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, I'm just gonna keep adding 'uuuuu's until you turn around, uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

"Have an angel slice."

Angel slice? Damn it, he knows my weaknesses to well! "W-Where are they?" I asked.

"Cupboard above the cooker."

I ran faster than Speedy Gonzales could and pulled out a box of them, smelling the pink cakes in them. I bite into one, the fluffiness and sweetness feeling like heaven in my mouth. Goddamn it...

"I hate you," I said, mouth full as I rammed another in.

"Love you too," Riku smiled, turning on the radio to some pop rubbish.

I sat next to Kairi and Sora, giving them the last two slices. "You know..." I started. "The fads of today...they don't really last."

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.

"The music you listen to is crap," I deadpanned.

"At least it's better than the cat strangling you listen to," Kairi said with giggle.

"But...I mean today's music...it's just convoluted rubbish, it all sounds the same! I mean what's it all about?"

"It's all about dat bass," Sora said with a wink.

Silence. We all stared at him. "You sound like a jackass," Riku said.

"Well, if it isn't all about the bass, what is it about?"

"The fame?" Kairi suggested.

"Being vain," Riku said simply.

"And all the sparkles!" I said automatically.

After a brief silence we all laughed. I have to say...being friends with them was probably the best thing in the world.

-*IV*-

_**Haven**_

**(Fight On!- FFVII OST)**

Zero walked out into the warzone, fresh bullet holes littering the walls and explosions kicking up dust. The Remnant had launched another offensive on the town again, this one being more ferocious than the last. The town's defence force were struggling, even with Vincent casting Haste and Protect spells on them. A soldier charged Zero, forcing him to draw the giant sword on his back, Cleaver. The soldier immediately turned and ran away. Zero scoffed a little.

"How...anticlimactic," he said, heading over to Vincent.

"My Lord," Vincent greeted, firing several fireballs out of the tips of his mechanical bo staff.

"Vincent," Zero smiled, taking up a machine gun turret and firing blindly. "How goes the battle?"

"Not good," Vincent replied, recasting Hastega. "Shin-Ra really want this town."

"Of course they do," Zero said, throwing out a plasma grenade. "This town stands between them and the ruins Jenova's in."

"I know that, my Lord, but right now we need a miracle. With Lambda still in Radiant Garden we don't have much..." He paused to quickly grab a live grenade and throw it back. "...Much in the way of brute force. This are volunteers not soldiers."

"Damn it!" Zero muttered, picking up a pistol. "Soldiers are what we need right now."

As the prevailing gunfire started to quieten down, the roar of a motorcycle filled the air. Everyone paused in confusion, looking for the source. Out of nowhere a motorcycle flew of the wall, landing painfully on an unfortunate soldier. It screeched around, batting down several more soldiers, the own jumping out and launching himself into a frenzied, angry attack with his Fusion Swords.

"Make that SOLDIER," Zero smirked, turning to Vincent. "Well...a fake one at least."

-*IV*-

_**Gummi Ship**_

_**Shade**_

"So that's Haven?" Sora asked as we hovered in the World's orbit.

"Guess so," Riku replied, moving the ship through the World's atmosphere.

"It's looks sort of..." I said, fumbling for the word.

"Dusty?" Kairi suggested as we broke through the clouds.

"...Yeah."

**(Dusty Desert [Quicksand]- Sonic 06 OST)**

Haven seemed a lot like Agrabah in the sense that it was a desert that seemed to stretch on for miles. Unlike Agrabah's desert, this one had several rocky canyons scattered around, littered with ancient obelisks covered in hieroglyphs and windswept temples that seemed to be built into the canyon walls. Large windmills towered high into the air, presumably to generate electricity judging from the amount of cables stretching across the desert. From the sky we could see two large settlements.

One of the settlements looked like it was almost like a flat pack set of military barracks. It had a warehouse, several buildings which I assume were barracks of some sort, plus a larger building that had a large turret on its roof.

"Is that a..." Kairi started.

Riku suddenly veered left, sending the rest of us tumbling to the side, as the turret fired a slug of electricity at us, narrowly avoiding the ship. Riku hurriedly flew off as the giant railgun fired once more.

After left the site it stopped. That was definitely a warning.

"Well..." Sora laughed. "I think that went rather well."

"You and I have very different definitions of 'rather well'," Riku said dryly.

"It didn't involve Heartless, Nobodies or Nightmares," Sora grinned back.

"...Touché."

We flew across the desert, coming across the other settlement. It was built at the foot of a temple ruin. It also had a distinctive steampunk feel to it as most of the major buildings looked to be made of brass and other types of metal. It had a large water tower with a serious of gear and pumps the lift the water out from a bore hole into an aqueduct that delivered it various pumps in the town. Surrounding the town was a concrete wall that made it look more like a military outpost than the town. On the road outside of it were several tanks.

"Hey...isn't that Cloud and Tifa?" I asked, peering out of the window.

Sure enough Cloud and Tifa, who had somehow managed to get here without transport (maybe a Star Shard?), were busy fighting off what looked like soldiers. Helping them were a man and a woman, along with a white-haired man.

"You don't that's..." Kairi asked, reading my mind.

"Let's hope not," Riku said, firing down on the soldiers with the Gummi Ship's lasers.

The soldiers scattered and, upon realizing what was shooting at them, quickly fled, taking the tanks with them. When it looked like it was all clear we landed on the outside of the wall.

"Be careful not to get sand in anything!" Sora groaned as Riku did a, frankly, crap landing. We all stared at Sora. "What?" he asked innocently. "The gummi ship and I have been through a lot together."

"As long as you don't name it Chase I'm fine with it," Kairi said, opening the door. Riku and I followed her out, laughing, leaving a bewildered Sora.

"What's that meant to mean? Kairi?"

-*IV*-

_**Haven**_

_**Town**_

We entered the town just as they guards were clearing up the bodies. I say guards, they looked more like volunteers than guards. The scale of the battle was apparent, a lot of the nearby buildings were destroyed, there were blast craters and splatters of blood everywhere.

"What was all this about?" Kairi asked, watching a two women treating an injured child.

Before anyone could reply Cloud stormed up to us. "What are you doing here?" he asked, slightly angered.

"We came to help you," Sora explained.

"I don't _need _your help," Cloud said, a little less angry.

"Cloud, they came because they care," Tifa said calmly. "And judging from those Shin-Ra soldiers we need help."

Cloud looked at Tifa, about to shout. He didn't, however, and begrudgingly nodded. It was then that Zero walked up to us. "Ahh, Sora, long time no see!" he said, cheerful and smug. Sora glared at the man. Zero laughed a little. "Still a little sore over the whole Heart Weave thing? ...I don't blame you I guess. Now, may Kingdom Hearts bless our meeting. I have a feeling we'll be working together quite closely over the next few days."

Zero laughed, leaving the rest of us completely bemused. What did he mean? And why wasn't he trying to kill us?

"My Lord?" said a taller man as he walked up to him.

"Yes, Vincent?"

"Governor Huxter wishes to see you," the man, Vincent, replied. He looked at us. "And you as well."

We all looked at each other, unsure.

"Now, now, don't look so scared," Zero said soothingly. "It's a...ceasefire. Would ceasefire be the right word?"

"Why would we agree to a ceasefire with you?" I asked, eyes narrowing.

"I know that you've been itching for an excuse to take out Lux Vera," Zero chuckled. "I'm not stupid. Think of this as a temporary solution while we deal with the problem here."

Zero turned and walked to the largest building, Vincent in tow.

"Go on, Tifa and I will be out here helping to fix things up," Cloud said.

Sora shrugged and followed, along with the rest of us. Riku headed up to Zero. "Why would we help you?"

Zero looked at him. "A good question. I find the notion that your fledgling Keyblade Order doesn't wish to give Lux Vera a chance to flourish via my followers own choosing slightly offensive. I know you dislike our group for whatever reason you use to justify it. So, why would I ask for your help?" He opened the door of the large building. "After you."

Uneasily, the four us went through, followed by Vincent and Zero. Riku looked at Zero. "Go on then. Why?"

"Because my interests are currently aligned with yours," he replied simply.

"What's that meant to mean?" Sora asked.

"You'll see," Zero replied with a smile, knocking on the door.

"Come in," came a pleasant voice.

We all filed in. The room was clearly an office, with multiple fans in the room to combat the desert heat, cacti and a large mahogany desk. Sat opposite us was a man with a large fluffy brown beard, short brown hair. He wore horn-rimmed glasses and was dressed in a black suit and a cowboy hat. Because stereotypes.

Sat on his desk was a young girl, about ten years old, with long blonde her in twin ponytails. She wore a bright blue dress and was making a daisy chain. Despite the overall cuteness, her expression was surprisingly vacant.

"Ah, Zero, has the battle been won?" the man asked.

"Only just, I'm afraid, Huxter" Zero replied solemnly. "And it was only thanks to the surprisingly convenient arrival of the Keybearers."

"T-The Keybearers?" 'Huxter' spluttered in surprise. "I...ahem, I didn't think we warranted that kind of help."

"Well...we did come here for another reason, but if those soldiers are giving you trouble, I'm sure we could lend you a hand," Sora smiled.

"Oh, that is just wonderful!" Huxter said with a sigh of relief. "Gwen, make our guests some tea, please." He paused. "Do you like tea? I can do coffee?"

"I'm not fussed," Sora said.

"Tea would be nice," Kairi smiled.

"Don't give her coffee, whatever you do," Riku said.

"Heeeeey!" I pouted. "I'll have tea then..."

The young girl, Gwen, hopped down and went to the nearby counter, pulling up a chair and began making three cups of tea.

"I have to say, Zero, this certainly is a massive boon to our fight," Huxter said. "Things might actually turn around."

Zero nodded in agreement. "I'm sure the Shin-Ra problem will be over soon. Once we get rid of that accursed thing in the ruins they'll have no reason to be here."

"A-are you sure they'll leave?" Huxter asked, a little unsure.

"Most certainly. Shin-Ra wishes to use to Jenova to create super soldiers. With no more Jenova, Project: SOLDIER will stop. The Shin-Ra Remnant will be little more than a splinter group of terrorists. And, with hope, Sephiroth will follow suit."

"This is all well and good, Zero," Kairi said with a surprising amount of anger. "But why do you need _our_ help? You've said it yourself, you're aware we don't trust you. So why?"

Zero rolled his eyes. "I thought it was obvious?" Zero said calmly, but very sharply. "Sephiroth is one of the most powerful beings in the Realm of Light. Jenova even more so. If Sephiroth were to fuse with Jenova like he initially wanted it would cause chaos for both Lux Vera and the United World Alliance. We don't want it. They don't want it. You don't want it." He said as he walked towards Sora. "Now...do we have a deal?"

Zero smiled, holding his hand out. Sora looked at Riku. Riku nodded a little and Sora reluctantly shook his hand.


	5. 4) The Temple

**A/N: **I'm seeing a shrink again! Huzzah for anxiety! Huzzah for not being able to control your emotions! Huzzah for that other bit that isn't for public mention yet!

Also, perfect voice for Huxter? General Doyle from RvB. If you haven't seen Red vs Blue, I advise you check it out. Well RvB Reconstruction onwards.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: Brave New World**

**04: The Temple**

More gun fire cracked through the air. Shin-Ra's latest attack was smaller, but it caught Zack off guard. Thankfully the large temple he was hiding in was full of old, but surprisingly advanced technology. Not to mention the murals of Keyblades carved into the walls. Weird.

Zack retreated, throwing a flash grenade to stun and disorientate them. This amount of damage would normally activate those...things. He ran and hidden under a ledge, he'd learned that he couldn't be seen there.

Three...

Two...

One...

Screams and gunfire filled the air as those silvery guardians descended on them. Zack had only got a brief look at them when he first encountered them. Tall, thin, but equipped with powerful energy shields and strong weapons including, but not limited to, energy swords, machine guns and laser snipers. The latter doing considerable harm. The noise died down as quickly as it started. All Zack had to do was wait half an hour. Then he'd be safe.

-*IV*-

_**Shade**_

I watched Sora and Zero shake hands. I shuddered, it felt like selling your soul. Gwen quietly came round with mine and Kairi's tea, noticeably giving Zero a wide berth. When she walked up to me she seemed to pause and, well, she looked at me. And I looked at her. And she looked at me. And I looked at her.

"Hello? Haven to Gwen?" I asked, waving my hand in front of her face.

"Oh, sorry," she said cheerfully. "You're really pretty. Here."

She handed me the tea and walked off. "Um...thanks...Hit on by a ten year old, that's...odd," I muttered, sipping my tea. "Ahhh, that's hot!"

Governor Huxter walked over to Sora and Riku. "I really can't thank you enough. Maybe we'll finally get our peace in return. Poor Gwen hasn't been sleeping properly for weeks. And that poor man in the Temple."

"Man?" Sora asked. "Who is he?"

"I-I'm afraid I don't know. He looked like a SOLDIER, but he kept fighting the Shin-Ra Remnant. He's went into the temple, vowing that they won't make him another Sephiroth, whatever that means."

"D'you think that could be Zack?" Sora asked as he turned to us.

"By the sounds it, yeah," Riku said. "Let's go."

We all headed out of the office, followed by Zero. "And where do you think you're going? We have something to take care of!"

"Sorry, Zero," Sora said not so apologetically. "This comes first."

Zero rushed past us as we went out of the front door and down the steps. "But we have to get rid of Shin-Ra! This is more important right now!"

"What's going on? " Cloud asked, walking up to us.

"Zero thinks saving Zack isn't important," Kairi stated quickly, earning Zero a glare from Cloud.

Zero quickly, but begrudgingly, backed down and left. Tifa looked at us, skeptical. "You know where Zack is?"

"Yup," Sora nodded. "Well, no. But it's our only lead. He's many to be in the ruins outside town."

"That's great!" Tifa exclaimed. "Where are they?"

"Um...we don't really know..." I replied slowly.

"They're near the Shin-Ra base," Gwen said as she walked past. "There's a spare jeep in Papa's garage. I know where he keeps the keys."

We all looked at each other, then at Gwen. God, she was a weird child.

-*IV*-

"Oooh, those kids are stuck up!" Zero growled angrily, pacing around Lux Vera's room.

"My Prophet, if this man is their friend it's entirely understandable that they'd prioritize him over an uneasy truce with us," Vincent said calmly.

Zero looked at him and sighed. "You're right. I am sorry for getting angry, this business with finding Talisman...speaking of that, has Lambda reported in yet?" Vincent shook his head. Zero bit his lip, thinking.

There had to be some sort of lead somewhere...

-*IV*-

_**Haven, Grand Desert**_

_**Shade**_

As odd as Gwen was, the directions she'd given us were pretty accurate. Much of the desert was filled with ruins, some of them similar in design to the large castle on Requiem, looking slightly futuristic, yet incredibly old. We'd been driving to these ruins for about half an hour and, unfortunately, there seemed to be an awful lot of Shin-Ra troops dotted around. We drove through most of the blockades without much of hitch, catching them by surprise and then outrunning them in the panic.

Spotting the Shin-Ra base in the distance we headed off road and sped through a small sandy valley. Multiple murals dotted the rock faces and several weathered statues. Cloud slowed the jeep down a little.

**(Requiem- Halo 4 OST)**

"Why are you slowing down?" Sora asked.

"Look at the statues," Cloud said.

"What? Why?"

"Look!" he insisted.

The jeep stopped and we all piled out. Slowly we inspected the statues. They were made of sandstone, that much was obvious and the designs were incredibly intricate. A plaque was one the base of the statues, some date from years and years ago engraved into it. Several patterns ran down the front and back of the statues themselves, ending off in...

"Oh, my God," I gasped, touching the symbol on the front of one. It was the Mark of Mastery!

"What is it?" Riku asked.

"They're Keyblades," I replied. "The statues. All of them are of Keyblades."

We looked round, slightly astounded. The murals on the walls, they were of Keyblade wielders, fighting each other. These murals and statues must have been from the First Keyblade War, or at least shortly after. We stood there, silent, breathing in the atmosphere of our heritage.

"Requiem," Sora said suddenly.

"What about it?" Kairi asked, clearly not wanting to remember that world.

"We saw statues like these there. This must be part of that civilization too."

I'll admit. Part of me was excited. I bet Master Yen Sid would love this place too. We set off down the valley on foot, the statues and rocks making it impossible to do so in the jeep. The further down we went the more statues and murals we found, details of a bygone age and the war that destroyed it. It was hard to believe that a place so beautiful had been forgotten and left to rot over thousands of years. It made the place overwhelmingly sad. We came to the end of the valley, a large temple built into the rockwall, locked by a sealed door that could only be opened by a Keyblade, presumably. More and more statues filled the valley in front of it, some of the dates repeating. Then it hit me.

"This is a graveyard," I murmured.

The group froze, Cloud, Riku and Sora immediately bowing their heads in respect. Kairi and Tifa stood quietly, mourning the fallen.

"Some of the graves are smashed," Tifa noted.

Riku looked at one that was riddled with holes. "Bullets. Shin-Ra have been here." He stood up and moved to the door. "Shall we?"

**(End 'Requiem')**

We nodded. Riku summoned his Keyblade and unlocked the door. It opened slowly with a dull rumbling noise. As we entered several torches lit themselves, illuminating a large cavernous temple. It looked almost like a church but instead of pews it had tombs. The ceiling reached high up to the point it nearly disappeared in the darkness. The carpets were torn, the pulpit and walls ruined and everything was covered in dust. Signs of a battle were evident due to the recent bloodstains but there were no corpses.

"This is so..." Kairi started.

"Creepy?" I asked.

"Beautiful."

"Oh, yeah. I love my ancient temples covered in bloodstains with no bodies around."

She frowned at me. I shrugged innocently.

**(Green and Blue- Halo 4 OST)**

"Hey! Who's there!" came a voice from deeper inside. There was some crashing around and, from some little hideaway in the wall, a man rolled out. Grabbing a nearby sword he readied himself for battle. He was wearing a blue vest and trousers, as well as black armour and shoulder pauldrons. His hair was a jet black mess of spikes and his eyes were a brilliant blue.

Seriously. Why the hell is everyone's eyes blue here?

"There's no way in hell you're making me into one of those things!" he yelled, not knowing who we were. "You saw what happened to Genesis and Angeal!"

Tifa gasped in shock. The rest of us looked at Cloud. He was quiet, his hands shaking. He stared at the man for what looked like forever. The man paused, going over Cloud and Tifa's faces. He dropped the sword, a clanging ringing out through the empty temple making us jump. Slowly he walked up to Cloud as though he had seen a ghost.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked quietly. "You ok?"*

Cloud nodded slowly, breaking out into a run. This got the man by surprised, who stopped only to be bear hugged by Cloud. And Cloud cried. The man hugged him and chuckled sadly. "Hey, you big lug. What's got into you?"

"I thought you were dead!" Cloud shouted, looking like a young boy whose father had returned from war. Or something like that.

"Um...I was," the man laughed. "Long story, I'll fill you in sometime. Now stop crying, you're embarrassing us."

Cloud let go of him, composing himself. "Sorry," he said sheepishly with a...holy crap, he was smiling!

"That's Zack, right?" Sora asked Tifa. She nodded and walked up to them pair.

"Zack," she greeted.

"Tifa," Zack smiled back. "Who are you friends?"

"These are Sora, Riku, Kairi and Shade," Cloud explained. "They helped us find you. They're Keybearers."

"Are they?" Zack smiled wistfully.

We went up to him, Sora diving in like he always does.

"Nice to meet you, Zack," he said, shaking Zack's hand.

"You too."

**(Hero's Pass Combat- Borderlands 2 OST)**

The reunion was cut short when a large explosion rocked the temple. Smoke filled the open doorway and several rifle wielding soldiers charged in, firing automatically. Instinctively we all dived for cover as the bullets swept the room.

"Damn Shin-Ra!" Tifa shouted, popping her head out and firing off some Firaga spells.

"Believe me, they aren't the problem," Zack yelled over the gunfire.

"What do you mean?" Riku asked, firing out a Thundaga, stunning a lot of them.

A perfectly timed shriek filled the temple. It didn't stop the gunfire, but it certainly slowed it.

"Oh, I think we're about to find out," I said dryly.

Out of nowhere these..._things_ burst out of several portals. They were lanky covered in silver and white armour. They were mechanical, each bearing the Mark of Mastery on their chests. Their heads were of wolves, making them look like Anubis, and they wielded bizarre guns and swords. Each one had a crude looking Keyblade attached to their left arms. They set upon the Shin-Ra troops with brutal efficiency and no amount of bullets could hold them off. I looked at Cloud.

"...Move," he said, getting up.

"Are you crazy?!" Tifa yelled.

"If we don't move now they'll come for us when they're done with Shin-Ra," Cloud explained. "Now _move!_"

Having no other option, and I personally didn't want to fight these things, we charged through the fray. Several of these guardian things saw and turned for us. Kairi threw out some powerful Graviga spells, pulling most of them together. We powered to the doorway but I was knocked down by one of the unaffected mechs. It rolled me over, shrieking in my face. Something inside me welled up, a primal jolt of adrennaline. I growled and punched it in the face. It wasn't affected, some sort of shielding covered it. The guardian pinned my arm down and shrieked again.

"Get off **me!**" I yelled, feeling my Heartless side clawing to get out when **SMACK!**

Riku's Keyblade batted the guardian off me. I quickly scrambled to my feet as he ran to me, both of us heading for the door.

"Is this where I go 'my hero' and swoon into your arms?" I teased.

"Nice to know you're alright," he smiled.

We were out of the temple, the Shin-Ra troops mostly dead. Sora quickly sealed it, stopping these monsters from getting out.

Or so we thought.

The guardian robots teleported in front of us, swarming us quickly.

"So...an escape plan would be nice," Sora suggested.

Suddenly, in a rush of convenience, a light surrounded us. When it died down, a young woman was stood in front of us, holding a red and black cube. She had black hair in a bob that looked slightly similar to Kairi's. In fact, facially and physically she was _very _similar to Kairi. In her hand was _Kingdom Key_.

"This will make your head hurt," she warned, throwing the cube down.

Everything was engulfed in a bright light.


	6. 5) What Happened After That

**A/N: **Iiiiiit's election day tomorrow!

So, if you in Britain, remember to vote which twat you want running your life!

...

Oh, yeah. Xion's here too.

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Brave New World

**05: **What Happened After That...

_**Haven, Town**_

_**Shade**_

The light disappeared and we all found ourselves face first in the sand. Well, all of us except the new girl. She was stood like nothing had happened. While the rest of us we either clutching our heads and wiping sand off our tongues, Sora looked at her.

"What the heck was that?!" he shouted.

"Future Cubes," she shrugged. "Nice to meet you by the way. I'm Xion."

Sora stood, not too pleased for once. "Sora," he said, slightly half-heartedly.

Xion smiled a little. I got to my feet, still clutching my head. Stumbling, I walked to her and shook her hand, then pointed at my companions. "Nice to meet you. I'm Shade. That's Riku, Kairi, Moody, Peppy and Booby. Now..." I lurched, ready to throw up. Swallowing it back down, I stood again. "What the hell are Future Cubes?"

"They're...they're teleporters," like it were obvious. Thinking about it, it probably was. "Punch in the location, it teleports everyone in the vicinity of the cube." She looked at all of us, dumbfounded. "What? You don't have Future Cubes on Radiant Garden?"

"Actually, four us live on Destiny Islands," Kairi said sheepishly.

"And Cloud and Tifa travel a lot," Riku added.

"And I've been dead for twelve years!" Zack said gleefully.

Xion looked at me, then the others, then me again. I gave a childish grin. "I'm the normal one."

Xion stepped back ever so slightly.

Taking a closer look at her, I have to say that her resemblance to Kairi was uncanny. As before, the only main difference was her hair. Shaped in a clean cut bob with a sweeping fringe her black hair was a far cry from Kairi's deep red locks. Her attire was something of a travellers outfit, black hiking boots, long socks partnered with cargo shorts and a black tank top. Round her waist was a loose looking zipper jacket and a small bag. She was also one of the few Keybearers I'd met that didn't have a thing for pointless belts and zippers.

"Ah, you're back!" Governor Huxter said as he came up to us, Gwen trailing behind him. "I must say, when Gwen told me what you had done I was absolutely worried sick! Those Shin-Ra blockades are quite nasty if you get stuck...who are these two?" He motioned to Xion and Zack.

"Zack's a friend," Riku said, glancing at Xion thoughtfully. "As for her...we're not sure."

Xion looked at him, huffed and folded her arms a little. Guess she didn't like not being trusted.

"Well, why don't you chat over tea," Huxter smiled. "We have a spare building that you can use during your stay here."

"We really wouldn't want to trouble you," Kairi said.

"Nonsense! You've helped out our little town! It's only right we offer you something in return."

We all looked at each other and shrugged. As Huxter took us along I noticed Gwen staring at Xion intently, notably the Keyblade she hadn't dismissed. I stopped and frowned a little. I know I'm paranoid but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something incredibly off about Gwen. She snapped her head towards me suddenly. I looked away quickly, pretending to have been watching some kids play 'soccer' as you guys call it. She quietly put her finger to her lips, making my inner Heartless scream.

My 'Heartless-sense' was tingling is what you could say.

Eyeing Gwen as she skipped off I headed indoors with the others.

-*IV*-

Lambda had just recently returned from scouting out Radiant Garden. The world the town was on was one of the most likely to have held secrets on Talisman, as it was one of the 'crux worlds' as Zero calls them, worlds that appeared to have more influence on the Realm of Light's natural order.

But there was nothing.

It was almost as though the original Keyblade Order were avoiding major worlds just to spite them. Frustrated, Lambda went into the town's tavern for a drink. Such things were usually looked down on in Lux Vera but it was either that or yell at the townsfolk for bothering her. Drowning her sorrows in cheap beer she thought over her recent travels since Sephiroth left Radiant Garden.

The World That Never Was and Traverse Town were no goes outright, one is artificial and the other was made as a natural response to Xehanort's Heartless. Radiant Garden and its surrounding towns were dead ends, worlds from the old Keyblade Order were hard to come by and the most obvious one, Requiem, served as little more than a glorified weapons cache and was effectively useless if they didn't find who they needed to work them.

She faceplanted the table with a loud thud and sighed.

"Any luck?" Vincent asked, silently sitting next to her. Her response was muffled. "Come again?"

"I said no," she replied, lifting her head up. "No relics, no artefacts, no nothing. The whole day was a waste of time!"

She angrily drank while Vincent thought a little. "Well, if it's any consolation I overheard the Keybearers talking about the place they found their friend. It turns out they ran into some Paladins if I've got the descriptions right."

Lambda stared at him in disbelief. "Paladins? Here?"

Vincent nodded.

"W-we need to tell Zero!" she said with a childlike enthusiasm.

"Not yet," Vincent said calmly, pulling Lambda back in her seat when she tried to leave. "It's too risky with Shin-Ra around and Jenova trapped in this town's backyard."

"The tomb's door is locked to Jenova's DNA right? We trick Sephiroth into opening it, kill Jenova, weaken Sephiroth. Bob's your uncle."

"I doubt Zero's willing to put the townsfolk at risk like that," Vincent said, stealing her drink. "We'll figure something out, don't worry. Once Shin-Ra and Jenova are gone we'll be free to study that temple."

Lambda begrudgingly agreed. "What if we don't find anything."

"Then we still have access to Tesla's research."

"Huh," Lambda grunted. "I guess Master Xehanort's Organization was useful for _something_."

-*IV*-

_**Shade**_

We sat quietly around the large table eating some sort of spiced and roasted pork. It was nice, if a little too hot for my liking. No one had said anything since we discussed the temple and those robots. They had also been marked with the Mark of Mastery and were most likely as old as the temple given how fiercely they defended it.

"So what happened after..." Cloud said to break the silence. "You know..."

"I died?" Zack asked with a raised eyebrow. Judging from Cloud's reaction he wasn't keen on saying 'died'. Zack folded his hands behind his head. "Well...apparently Shin-Ra had kept my body in cold storage for twelve years. My spirit was taken to this weird realm outside reality for...spiritual healing they called it. I met a girl called Aqua there, we kicked ass and saved the multiverse." He paused. "I'm beating my own drum here aren't I?"

We nodded. He gave an amused grin and continued. "I woke up in Shin-Ra's base as they were about to restart the Jenova Project...with me. Apparently the townsfolk had set up shop after they hid Jenova and by the looks of things they aren't moving any time soon. Anyway, I broke out and fled to that temple where I've been for the last year or so. I'd given up on sending distress calls and then you guys showed up! How are you guys doing anyway?"

"We're fine," Tifa smiled. "We've been...busy."

Cloud snorted a laugh.

"And you guys?" Zack "How do you know Cloud?"

"We helped him out on a few occasions," Sora grinned.

Zack chuckled. After Zack imbued us with his trials and heroics during his time in SOLDIER attention soon turned to the relatively quiet Xion.

"What about you?" Riku asked.

"What about me?" she asked back.

"You drop in from the sky, wielding a Keyblade and we have no idea who you are," Kairi elaborated, clearly avoiding their resemblance.

Xion shrugged. "I wanted to meet the people that stopped Master Xehanort. Is that such a crime?"

"No it's just..." I said. "Master Yen Sid never mentioned you at all. And with so few of us I'd have thought we'd have met considering the threat Xehanort posed."

Xion looked down, disheartened. It looked like she was remembering something awful. "I was weak for a long time. I was trained to fight him but by the time I was ready the battle was won. So I've been travelling." She shrugged. "That do for you?"

Everyone murmured a little until Sora went over to her. "Want to join us? We could use an extra hand, especially with Shin-Ra."

He held out his hand. Slowly Xion took it. "Sure," she said with a smile.

Sora grinned and turned to us. "Everyone cool with it?"

"Bit after the fact, isn't it?" Riku laughed.

Sora shrugged, still grinning.

* * *

**Post-Chapter A/N:** Sorry for the shortness of this, my time's been stretched between work, health issues, IV and the Anthology which I've _actually got round to writing again!_ And I didn't have a good transition point to merge this and the next chapter. Worry not minions! The next chapter has Sephiroth!


	7. 6) Shin-Ra Attacks

**A/N: **So I saw _Age of Ultron _last week. I now ship Black Widow and The Hulk.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Brave New World

**06: **Shin-Ra Attcks

_**Shin-Ra Base**_

Machines bleeped and whirred in the base, complimenting the complicated chatter of the scientists in the base. Guards stalked the corridors, looking for any intruders though a lot of them doubted they would be any.

General Ryan, the leader of the Remnant, marched down the lab inspecting everything with an eye for immaculate detail. One of his mottos went along the lines of 'cleanliness and discipline bring out the best'. Right now he was in one of the forensic labs, watching a group of scientists examine a charred skeleton.

"Any luck?" the General asked.

The head scientist shook his head. "No, Sir. Still no ID on whoever this is."

The General sighed sadly. Whatever killed this person left no trace on who it was. Judging by the size of the skeleton it wasn't one of their soldiers, most likely some poor unfortunate soul from the town. "Do we have any idea of what caused this?" he asked.

"No. We've narrowed it down to intense exposure to heat which led to immense physical trauma."

"Heat?"

"Fire, specifically. Enough of it to fuse the bones in the person's hands and wrists. They've probably died from shock before...well, before they became _that_."

"Poor thing..."

"We're running tests on the victim's teeth. We should have the results in a few days."

"Very good. Keep at it."

"General Ryan, Sir!" shouted a young soldier as he ran in, panting slightly. He looked spooked.

"Easy, soldier, don't rush," the General said calmly. "What is it?"

"I-It's _him!_"

"Who?"

"I took the liberty of letting myself in," came an emotionless drawl. Standing behind the soldier, with a lot of blood on his sword, was the man that destroyed Nibelheim.

"Sephiroth..." General Ryan stammered.

Sephiroth casually moved the soldier out of the way. "I have a question for you."

General Ryan stood tall, refusing to show fear to Hojo's monster. "Go on."

"Where is Jenova, General? Where is Mother?"

-*IV*-

_**Haven, Town**_

_**Shade**_

I was walking around town with Xion and Midori, my right hand Heartless, trying to get to know the girl. Apparently she'd been orphaned as a child and raised in a care home like me. Lauded for her gift of wielding the Keyblade, she trained herself using books of the First Keyblade War.

Where she found those I had no idea.

But she seemed nice enough. She was sweet, kind and seemed to want nothing more than to make friends. I could see though that deep inside she appeared...sad. I didn't think now was the best time to ask about that, but I filed it away for later.

Midori kept me informed of my little Heartless posse in the Realm of Darkness. I would go there myself, but my Keyblade would probably attract more attention than I wanted and I doubt my pals in the Realm of Light would differentiate between _my _Heartless and...regular Heartless.

"Aside from regular hierarchy stuff, they doing fine," Midori said with about as much empathy as a brick.

"Good, goood, keep me posted," I smiled.

Suddenly, gunfire cracked the air. Stood by the city gates was a group of threeShin-Ra soldiers wielding MA5D assault rifles. Er...Google it. They were smug about, they didn't even have back up. Nevertheless, people fled, mother's grabbed their children.

"Alright, give us the Jenova clone and nobody gets hurt!" the leader ordered.

Xion and I summoned our Keyblades while Midori changed his hands into NeoShadow claws. This amused them.

"Oh, look, a bunch of kids," the leader laughed.

"What can they do?" said a second.

"Pfft, I doubt anything, Ted," the third said. "I mean, two of them are girls!"

Ohhhh they'll regret that.

"What's that?!" I yelled. "You repeat that?! You wanna start something, huh? Ya fucking pricks! Do ya? You wanna fight? Well, come on then! No spawn camping! Three vs three, red vs blue, I'll fuck you up!"

"J-Just...calm down, kid..."

"Shut up the fuck up, Ted! We're all pumped! We're ready to go! Let's do this!"

"No mercy!" Xion yelled.

"Yeah! Prison rules! Midori hasn't eaten in days!"

"I want the one in middle," he growled.

"**Me too**," I hissed, licking my lips.

The Shin-Ra soldiers looked at each other and immediately turned tail. Cowards.

"That's right, you'd better run away! _You Shin-Ra BASTARDS!_"

I stood, panting. Midori seemed put out and Xion was concerned at me outburst. I don't what came over me then. It was like something had welled up in anger and wanted to burst out. I'd felt like that when that guardian mech attacked me at the temple.

I tried to shift the mood. "I wonder what those Shin-Ra bastards were wanting?"

"Something about a Jenova clone," Midori said.

"Didn't Zack say they wanted to change him into one?" Xion asked.

I nodded. Then it hit me. "What if they sort of succeeded?" I asked, blood running cold.

"What do you mean?" Xion asked.

"We need to find Zack!" I said in a serious tone before heading off. Xion followed.

"I'll be going back to Yuki if you don't need me," Midori yelled.

"Behave when you're with her!"

"...You're not my mother!"

"May as well be!"

-*IV*-

_**Huxter's Office**_

Xion and I headed into the building where we saw Huxter, the guys and Zero, Vincent and a girl with pink and blue hair having an...awkward conversation. Awkward being an understatement. Judging by Cloud, Zack and Riku's faces, plus the subtle smugness of Zero's I imagine they had clashed on certain views.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything," Xion said.

"Oh, no," Zero smiled. "We were just having a lovely conversation on what to do with that temple you found. Imagine, a graveyard guarded by Paladins of all things!" He laughed happily but I felt nothing except being patronized.

"Zero, I have a question," I told him.

"You do? Well, I am happy to assist," he said, sitting on a wooden chair. Ugh, he just reeked of arrogance.

"The chamber Jenova's in, it's locked right?"

"Of course. When Shin-Ra set up on this world they locked the Jenova doll using a door that only opens to her cells. In order to open said door you need something with Jenova's cells," Zero explained. "It really is a remarkable system if I'm honest."

"So they need something infused with Jenova's cells, right?"

"Would do you think?" the girl snarled.

"Now, now, Lambda," Zero said calmly. "I have no idea how the mechanism works but that seems to be the case. Shin-Ra were planning to use Sephiroth but he ended up taking a interest in Blondie over there." Then he paused. "Why?"

"No reason," I said a little too quickly. Zero glanced at Zack, a slight smirk forming on his lips. He turned back to me.

"I see."

Then an awkward silence.

"Well, Huxter, it's been a pleasure but I believe it's time for the three of us to return to our quarters," Zero said, standing. "We have things to discuss."

"Of course, of course," Huxter said as he shook the man's hand.

While the pair said their goodbyes Riku pulled me to the side. "What was that about?" he asked quietly.

"I was just...curious, that's all," I lied. He saw through it. I sighed. "Fine, fine. I was thinking what if they succeeded?"

"What do you mean?"

"I-It's a long shot, but what if, theoretically, Zack already _has _some of Jenova's cells in him? Not enough to be badly affected, but enough to open that door?"

Riku glanced as Zack. He and Cloud were talking about their days in the Shin-Ra military. "That...could be a possibility," Riku whispered. "But then that just gives us an advantage right?"

I nodded. "But I don't trust Zero with that knowledge."

"You think he knows?"

"I know he knows. He's not stupid, he made that clear when I asked him." I sighed. "What about you? How are you doing?"

Riku shrugged, waving me question away. "I'm alright."

"Riku," I frowned, putting my hands on my hips. "Don't lie."

He gave me a look. I gave him a stern one. Riku let up. "It's the new girl, Xion."

"What about her?"

"I can't help but..." he looked at her, like he was trying to solve a puzzle in his head. "I don't know, she feels familiar I guess."

"Have you met before?"

"No. I'd have remembered."

I shrugged in response. "It'll come back to you."

"Mr Riku?" came Gwen's voice, making us both jump. She'd somehow snuck up on us. "Can I have a look at that funny key-thing?"

"Um...sure."

Riku summoned _Way to the Dawn _and held it for her to look at. She delicately ran her fingers over it, inspecting the teeth, the handle. Everything. Then she looked at me. "Can I see yours?"

I looked at Riku, uneasy. I didn't like this kid. Regardless, he nodded. Trying to put on a smile, I summoned _Midnight Fury_. Gwen gasped. "It's so different! Does it do different things?"

"I dunno," I shrugged. "It prefers ice attacks than his fire attacks I guess..."

"Why do Sora and the new girl have the same Keyblade?"

"I doubt they're the _same_," Riku laughed, petting her. Gwen pouted.

"They _are! _I can tell," she whined, stomping off in a huff.

Riku and I watched her go. "I think you upset her," I said.

"She'll be fine," he said, petting me.

My eyes widened. "N-No, not the pet...ting..."

And then I stood there with a stupid smile on my face, leaning on Riku as he petted me like a cat. Hey, I'd be purring if I could, but I don't think I'm a cat Heartless. Which sucks. I heard Zack stifle a laugh.

"I'd shut up if I were or I'd have to shank a bitch," I said in a sing song voice.

That shut him up.

-*IV*-

_**The Next Day**_

The desert sun burst through the cracks in the curtains. We hadn't done much the previous evening except fool around. Riku and I sparred but that ended up in a tickle contest, with me losing. Sora and Kairi trained while Cloud, Zack and Tifa drank at the tavern. Lux Vera were didn't leave their place, but no one was fussed about that. As night fell we all headed to the large hall which had become our makeshift bedroom.

Night time was uncomfortable. It turns out the heat of the desert didn't let up when the stars were out, even with the windows wide open and the air conditioning on. The heat was so bad that Riku were reduced to our underwear to prevent our clothes getting drenched in sweat. And even that only gave us a couple of hours sleep at best.

After showering the smell away I found Riku downstairs cooking bacon. The warm, welcoming scent pulled me towards it. If there was anything to tempt a veggie with, it's bacon. While Riku's back was turned I grabbed a fork and slyly took a piece of the sizzling goodness.

"Get off it," Riku said, his back still turned.

Darn! Quickly shovelling it down my throat. "Get off what? I don't have anythin'." Riku turned and shook his head. "What?" I asked innocently.

"You're so childish sometimes," he laughed, kissing me.

I pouted. "Not childish."

Yeah that didn't help did it?

He kissed me again. "I think it's cute."

"Yeah, I can still whoop your ass into next week if I wanted," I grinned, snuggling him. Out of nowhere something loud fired. A whistling and deafening crash followed as a tank shell ripped through the ceiling and destroyed the kitchen.

**(Vim and Vigour- KH2.5 OST)**

Riku grabbed me and ran before it hit us, rubble and shrapnel from the explosion covering us. Riku ran upstairs, heading for the others. I followed, mourning my lost bacon.

"Is everyone alright?" he yelled over the now obvious sounds of gunfire.

Cries of 'yes' and 'fine' came from our half dressed friends. Sora ran up to us. "Shin-Ra?" he asked.

"Probably," Riku replied.

Suddenly Cloud grabbed his head.

"What is it?" Tifa asked, worry clear in voice.

"He's here," he growled.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Zack asked. "C'mon, go, go, go!"

We rushed out of the hall only to be met with a tank, several small walker mechs and soldiers. Buildings had quickly turned to rubble, smoking craters littered the paths and the square. And the soldiers. They were just...firing on everyone. Man, woman, child. It didn't matter if they were armed or not. The image burned into my mind.

That was the first moment I was ashamed to be human.

Zero, Vincent and Lambda were busy defending the town along with several volunteers, but were already on the defence due to the suppression of the soldiers and that tanksThey were horribly outmatched.

"We've gotta get that tank out of play," Xion said, picking up a grenade. "Anyone like to join me?"


	8. 7) Date With a Demon

**A/N: **Yes. I did just put this as the first boss.

Also, if you read a 'boss chapter' (bosses are shown by title cards) I'd really appreciate reviews as I'm still learning how to write them to a higher stand than I write them at.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hi

ronobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Brave New World

**07: **Date With a Demon

_**Haven, Town**_

_**Shade**_

Hell.

The town had become hell.

It was...I didn't know how to describe it, just...it's unlike anything I'd ever seen.

**(Molly vs Misty- Brawlbuddys)**

"Mio, snap out of it," Riku said, running after Xion.

"R-Right."

Xion was really brave. That also might be equivalent to really stupid. She led our charge, vaulting over rubble and knocking down soldiers with surprising ease. We split up, Sora and Kairi, Zack, Cloud and Tifa heading down one set of streets and Xion, Riku and I heading down others. Maybe that we way could change the flow of this battle.

The tank fired again, causing a building to collapse behind us, rubble and dust kicking up everywhere. A small group of soldiers came before us, guns poised.

"Don't have time for this," I muttered lunging at one. He backed up a little, ducking under my swipes. He fired, thankfully having the accuracy of a Storm Trooper, and missed. "Ice!" I chanted, freezing his gun-wielding arm with Dark Blizzaga. He screamed, clutching it and seethed. I knocked him out with the hilt of my Keyblade and headed for another soldier.

"Look out!" I heard Riku yell. I turned and immediately ducked, narrowly avoiding a round from a rocket launcher.

"H-Holy crap!" I said, laughing at my own luck.

Riku charged the soldier with launcher. He was tall and very heavily armoured and judging by the fact he could hold and balance a launcher in one hand he was very strong. Riku slid to him, encased in dark Firaga but the soldier blocked with his launcher, using it as a club and swinging it at him. Riku jumped up and back, narrowly avoiding another rocket.

"_Thunder!_" Xion chanted, knocking out the other soldiers. She then headed to Riku with me.

We charged the soldier, catching him off guard. I struck an exposed part on his inside knee while Xion grabbed his shoulder and pulled. Riku then fired a powerful Flare at him, knocking the man unconscious. With no time to lose we powered through streets, ducking and dodging gunfire. We came out of a small alley where Vincent was trying to block the tank's rounds with a shield of purple magic.

"Nice of you to show up!" he strained, the shield finally breaking. Lambda pushed him out of the way as the tank fired again.

The turret spun round menacingly.

"Run..." Riku said.

The clunking of a reload could be heard inside.

"Run!" he shouted.

We split off as the tank fired, reducing one of the buildings to a smoking pile of stone and rubble.

"Distract it while I get to the hatch," Xion said.

"You're..." I started as Xion ran to the tank. "Absolutely _crazy! _And that's coming from a crazy person!"

I held out my free hand as if to grab something, a swirling orb of violent mismatched light and dark energy, Soul Purge, formed in it. As Riku attacked with Dark Aura I waited and waited, the energy building up. My hand suddenly came aflame, signalling my attack was ready.

No sooner had Riku finished I fired it, the blast of energy careening towards it, impacting it in the treads with a bright explosion. The tank was immobilized, allowing Xion to climb the turret. She forced the hatch open and shoved the grenade she'd picked up in, then fused the hatch closed with Firaga.

"I'd run if I were you," she shouted, hopping off and finding cover.

Riku and I did the same, ducking behind a small fountain as the tank exploded. Nothing remained but a smoking chunk of metal.

"Great job!" Sora grinned as his group came up to us.

"Yeah, way to endanger innocent lives," Lambda added dryly.

"Any sign of Sephiroth?" Cloud asked urgently.

"Forget about him, we need to push this attack back," Zack said.

"But-!"

"Cloud!" Zack snapped. "I get how you feel. Believe me, I do. But right now the people of Haven come first."

Cloud looked Zack. He sighed and gave in.

"I couldn't agree more," we heard Zero say as he came up to us. "I have a plan. It's risky and it requires _trust_. From _all _of us." He stressed the 'all' in a patronizing fashion. "We split up. Sora, Kairi, Vincent and I will guard the entrance to Jenova's prison in case they get through."

"Are you sure that'll work?" Xion asked.

"Sora's stronger than he looks," he said, a little unwillingly. "And Vincent is a Synergist, he'll provide support." I liked how he didn't support Kairi. Zero continued. "Xion, Shade and Lambda will teleport into Shin-Ra's base, stop the chain of command. The others will be on the front line. Are we good?"

"I doubt we have a choice," I muttered under my breath.

"Good," Zero said with a smile that meant 'I'm going to kill you once we're done here'.

With that Sora, Kairi, Vincent and Zero left for Jenova's tomb while Xion and Lambda stood next to me.

"Try not to forget who your enemies are, Heartless," Lambda said to me.

I glared at her. "Same to you."

"No arguing," Xion ordered, throwing down a Future Cube. We disappeared in a bright light.

-*IV*-

The Shin-Ra assault had let up a little, giving Riku, Zack, Cloud and Tifa some much needed breathing room. Riku looked at Cloud. He looked ready to burst. Zack was reassuring him but to no avail.

Suddenly a troop of Shin-Ra soldiers arrived, surrounding them. Before Riku's group could react, a small orb of darkness floated between them, exploding brightly and knocking all of them to the ground.

"What...?" Riku asked, disorientated.

"Oh, no..." Tifa gasped. "Cloud! It's him!"

**(One-Winged Angel- FFVIIACC OST)**

Cloud look up at the sky in disgust. Floating down, surrounded by dark light and swirling black feathers, descending like an almighty angel of death, was Sephiroth. He landed without a touch, swerving his hand around, bolts of lightning firing out. The Shin-Ra soldiers all fell to the ground once more, dead. Sephiroth turned to Cloud, smirking. "Good to see you, Cloud."

Cloud didn't say anything, just readied his Fusion Swords. Sephiroth continued. "I suppose that's meant to be threatening? You really are so immature, baring your teeth like a child. Still running from your darkness."

"You may not find him threatening," Tifa said, standing by Cloud. "But how many times has he beaten you?"

"How many times do I come back?" Sephiroth retorted.

"And how many times does he keep pummelling you back into submission," Riku growled, bracing himself.

"I may not know the whole story," Zack said with a determined grin. "But I have to pay you back for Nibelheim."

Sephiroth looked over them in absolute disgust. "Very well then. I will swat you away like the insects you are."

**Sephiroth**

**The One-Winged Angel**

Sephiroth sent out a flurry of Shadow flares, forcing the group to splinter. Smoke from the explosions covered the town square, making it hard to breath. Cloud looked around, trying not to panic. If he let one of them die...

A flash of light charged towards him. Cloud blocked with his sword as Sephiroth unleashed a deadly flurry of sword strikes in rapid succession. Cloud had down this enough to counter them with easy. He booted Sephiroth in the chest, making him stumble. Sephiroth disappeared in anger. Cloud looked around for him.

"He's teleporting, being careful!" he warned.

Sephiroth appeared, firing another volley of Shadow Flares to keep the smoke up then vanished once more. He appeared behind Tifa and charged. Tifa, having sensed this, ducked, barely avoiding the powerful sword strike. She turned and attack with a brutal punch. Sephiroth smirked as she did so, letting her attack him. Without warning, he grabbed her fist and threw her across the now clear square.

"Hey!" Zack shouted. "No one does that to Cloud's friends!"

Zack charged Sephiroth, jumping and slamming his sword down. Sephiroth blocked with Masamune. Not wanting to give him an advantage Zack went on the offensive, attacking with strong, powerful strikes. Sephiroth gritted his teeth in annoyance, blasting him back with a powerful Shadow Flare only for Tifa to come charging, fisting impact his face with tremendous force.

Sephiroth was hurled through the air, tumbling around until he managed to land on his feet and skidding to a stop. He teleported again, this time aiming for Riku. Riku anticipated this, dodging out of the way quickly and the charging him with a Dark Aura. The pair clashed repeatedly, balls of Darkness flying off them.

"Know your place," Sephiroth said, knocking Riku down. He landed on the ground.

"You ok?" Tifa asked as she ran past.

"Yup..." Riku groaned as he stood.

Relieved, Tifa struck Sephiroth again with a powerful kick. Sephiroth remained unfazed and began to attack her brutally, dancing around her, forcing her to duck and counter on the odd occasion.

"Leave her alone!" Cloud roared, jumping Sephiroth from behind.

Sephiroth smirked, kicking Tifa back and blocked Cloud with ease. Cloud didn't let up though. He fired a powerful Firaga spell, backed up by Thundaga. Sephiroth hissed in pain. Furious he covered himself in fire, determined to pull them to him and finish them. While Tifa, Zack and Cloud tried to break free from the pull Riku slid down and, when the attack had ran out of power, he attacked with Dark Splicer, warping around and striking the monster with powerful strikes of dark energy.

Sephiroth huffed and struck with a powerful uppercut, knocking Riku in the air then teleported round him, attacking him relentlessly.

"He's gonna cut him to ribbons," Tifa gasped.

"On it," Zack said leaping and striking Sephiroth from behind. The pair fell, Riku casting Curaga on himself. "Thanks," he said.

"Don't mention it," Zack smiled.

"You...you seem to have changed Zack," Sephiroth murmured. "Have you been blessed by Mother too?"

"Like hell I have!" Zack growled firing Thundaga at him. Sephiroth countered with a Thundaga of his own, resulting in a sparking explosion.

Out of the smoke Zack charged once more, attacking with a flurry of slashes, all of which were blocked by the one-winged angel. Tifa took this chance to attack with a flurry of punches before suplex him. Sephiroth, head bloodied, didn't let it stop him. He grabbed Tifa's leg and pulled her down, standing over her menacingly, sword bearing down, glaring at her with utmost hatred.

He slammed the tip down, but Tifa rolled out of the way. Cloud then slammed into him, kicking him through the wall of a building. The building collapsed around Sephiroth, crushing him. Cloud panted.

"You think he's dead?" Zack asked.

"No," Cloud replied, panting. "Not by a long shot."

As confirming Cloud's thoughts the rubble of the building was flung in all directions by a burst of light. Sephiroth stood, bloodied but still unaffected by the attacks. His smirk was now gone.

"That's enough," he said, rushing through Riku, Zack and Tifa and instead heading for Cloud. Cloud met him with a block and the pair struck each other mercilessly.

"Why are you here? Why are you siding with Shin-Ra?!" Cloud yelled.

"Shin-Ra are merely a means to an end," Sephiroth drawled, throwing Cloud into the air and teleporting in a flurry of feathers. He reappeared in front of Cloud, grabbing him by the collar. "When I break into Mother's tomb we shall finally have the Reunion that we were denied so many years ago. We shall infect this planet's lifeblood, corroding it, _choking _it. And then I shall use this world as a vessel to travel the stars as my vessel. Just like Mother did long ago."

Sephiroth threw Cloud down into the roof of a building. "And then I shall find a new planet. And together Mother and I will create a shining future."

Cloud groaned as he stood, bracing himself. Sephiroth came rush down, but Cloud sliced the air, a beam of energy shooting out and hitting Sephiroth causing him to fall.

"You're sick!" Cloud shouted.

Sephiroth composed himself midair and smirked once more. "And what will you do about it?"

Cloud roared and jumped again, striking Sephiroth down once more. Sephiroth impacted the ground, boring into the brick and stone. He stood, angered. Riku darted behind him, Keyblade glowing brightly.

"_Zantetsuken!_" he yelled, striking Sephiroth chest with a powerful slash. He followed it up with a charge. Sephiroth grabbed _Way to the Dawn _and pulled, yanking Riku forward. Before he could strike Tifa came back at him, fist glowing.

She struck the ground, Riku and Sephiroth barely avoiding the explosion. Tifa then powered to Sephiroth as he hurriedly swiped and slashed. She dodged, left and right, this way and that, before striking him in the chin with an uppercut.

"That was for Nibelheim!" she shouted.

"Worthless...little..." Sephiroth started, only to be caught off guard by Zack hurtling towards him.

Zack struck him, slashing seven times. Sephiroth slammed Masamune down but Zack darted quickly to the right and attacked another seven before diving on him, piercing his chest.

Sephiroth looked at him, annoyed. Zack yanked the sword out, making Sephiroth stumble. "You really think that _that _will stop me?" he asked coldly. Sephiroth disappeared again, reappearing in the air.

None of the noticed Gwen hiding, watching the battle intently from an alley.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth raised his hand to the sky, an orange portal opening. "Shall I give you despair?"

Out of the portal a brutal barrage of meteors flew out, striking buildings, paths and anything in their way. The group were forced to split, leaving Cloud open as Sephiroth came flying down again. Cloud darted backwards, detaching one of the swords and charged, swinging the smaller sword nimbly. Sephiroth blocked, leaving Cloud to attack with the larger combination of blades. Sephiroth shrugged the attack off, pushing Cloud back. Cloud narrowly avoid a meteor as it flew dangerously close and charged Sephiroth again. Again Sephiroth blocked, but fired out a Shadow Flare forcing Cloud back.

Riku came at Sephiroth again, pushing him into the path of a meteor. Sephiroth slashed the rock in half. Before Sephiroth had a chance to move Tifa attacked again with Final Heaven, knocking Sephiroth to the ground. Zack came at him, annoying Sephiroth even more. Before Zack could land a hit Sephiroth swirled around, a blast of energy knocking them all to the ground. The Supernova stopped, smoke and dust covering the town.

Cloud groaned, the fight in him nearly gone. Sephiroth foot slammed down on his wrist, digging his heel in.

"Was it like this?" Sephiroth asked. "The pain you felt before when Zack died Or was it more like this?" He dug it in more, pain shooting through Cloud's wrist. Cloud screamed in pain. Slowly, Sephiroth oversaw the fallen Zack, Riku and Tifa. "You truly are pathetic. You can never be rid of me, Cloud. You know that right? We are destined to fight until one of us is defeated. And I'm certainly not going away any time soon."

Sephiroth smiled cruelly as Cloud screamed in agony. "Nothing to say?"

"Back off!" came Zack's voice as struck Sephiroth weakly.

Sephiroth stumbled, leaving Cloud. "You really don't know when to stop do you?" He stabbed Zack in the chest repeatedly, pain running through his chest. "Now kneel over and _die_."

Sephiroth grabbed Zack and threw him next to Cloud. "Tell me Cloud. Do you cherish him? Tell me everything you cherish most...and give me have the honour of taking it away."

***Pause***

Cloud looked at Zack weakly. Zack, bloodied and bruised, smiled. "So it looks hopeless..." he said. "But I'm not gonna give up...you won't either, right?" Zack put a reassuring hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Embrace your dreams and, whatever happens, protect your honour as SOLDIER."

Cloud gave a pained smile. "I never made SOLDIER."

"Well...that's true," Zack said, rolling onto his back. "But it's what's in here that counts." He pointed to his chest, smiling at Cloud. "'Sides...you've beaten him before right? This should be a sinch. Especially now you've got a badass like me back."

Cloud laughed then coughed at the pain. "And you just ruined it."

Zack grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

The pair stood, fighting the immense pain coursing through their bodies.

"What?" Sephiroth whispered, shocked.

"You remember what I told you right?" Zack asked.

Cloud nodded. "I'm your living legacy."

***Play: 6:02 onwards***

Sephiroth readied his sword.

"How can you still go on?"

"There's one thing you don't get Sephiroth..." Cloud said. "There's nothing I don't cherish!"

Cloud charged and slashed Sephiroth repeatedly. He threw his swords up in the air, detaching them one by one while Zack launched his Meteor Shot attack. Unable to move Sephiroth was no match for Cloud when he came crashing down with one sword, disappearing in a blur of afterimages as he darted around using Omnislash, knocking him down blow by blow with all thirteen of his swords. When the Meteor Shots finished Cloud slammed down with one final attack, piercing Sephiroth's heart. Sephiroth weakly tried to grab the sword but his hand fell.

"I'll be back..." Sephiroth growled.

"And I'll be waiting," Cloud said with a smirk, pulling the sword out.

Sephiroth's eyes rolled over and closed as he disappeared into darkness. Cloud fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

**(End One-Winged Angel)**

"Heh heh, you've got stronger, Cloud," Zack said, helping him up.

"Next time we fight a mutant demi-god," Riku groaned, healing himself and Tifa. "Can you do that straight away? That'd be great."


	9. 8) Corpse

**A/N: **Holy crap, so many things have happen between the last chapter and this one. RIP to Christopher Lee and _**YAY **_new KHIII information! **Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! **Final Fantasy VII remake! **Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! **Gay marriage legalized in all 50 states! **Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! **I had a mental breakdown this week! **Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Brave New World

**08: **Corpse

_**Shin-Ra Base**_

_**Shade**_

The Future Cube dropped us in front of the base. Apparently off by a fair margin judging by the look on Xion's face. Not that I cared. I was too busy trying to force down more vomit. How the heck could she travel using that thing?

"You ok?" Lambda asked, feigning concern.

"Yup," I hiccupped, standing. "Oh, Gods, that's hell."

"Suck it up."

I gave her a look. "Well, when we're fighting, I'll do a Donald and waste my magic on badly timed Curaga spells, howzat?"

"Listen you..." Lambda growled, preparing to throw a punch.

"Hey!" Xion barked, getting between us. "No arguing. Regardless of how you two feel about each other we need to focus on finding Shin-Ra's leader. So save the infighting for later. Ok?"

"...Ok," Lambda begrudgingly agreed.

"Okies," I said with a cute grin.

"Good. Let's go."

With a smug grin on my face and a tense silence between us we set off in search of an entrance. On closer inspection the base was pretty basic. The majority of it was pure white, with Shin-Ra flags draped over the walls, and was split into three areas; the vehicle depot (where we'd landed), the barracks and the main building that had that bigass anti-air turret on top. Surrounding it was endless desert.

We snuck around the edges of the garages, taking care to avoid the jeeps and patrols that lingered. I know Shin-Ra probably aren't expecting a direct assault from _inside _the base, but even so.

"I feel like such a ninja," I whispered, trying to start a conversation. Xion chuckled.

"Shut up, Shade," Lambda growled.

"What? Just trying to keep things cheerful..."

"Shut _up!_"

"I could roll around saying 'believe it' if you want?"

"Jesus, I'm trying to eavesdrop!" Lambda hissed, pointing to a pair of soldiers. On a balcony above us.

"Oh. Sorry."

The soldiers, dressed in blue armour reminiscent of Zack's outfit being only a tad more futuristic, were evidently on a break judging from the lack of weapons and the cups of coffee.

"Why are we even trying to resurrect the Jenova Project, Steve?" one asked.

"I dunno, Jim. Job pays well I guess?"

Jim scoffed. "I just want to get of this godsforsaken planet. I mean, my poor mom needs me. Had to fake my death to get out here. She was laughing when they told her, but on the inside I'm sure she crying, well, sobbing. Well...mostly sure. But most of all...I miss researching."

"Tell me about. I miss being able to fiddle with neutrons and electrons."

"Yeah, but it could be worse. Look at Deepground. They were all doctors. Allegedly."

Xion gave us a confused look. "These guys are geeks first, soldiers second?"

"Hey, they'd still shoot at us if they saw us so don't feel bad about attacking them," Lambda replied.

"All units prepare for departure!" came a voice from the tannoy system. " Today we take back Jenova once and for all! For Shin-Ra!"

"Gods, I hate General Ryan," Steve said with a roll of his eyes.

"I know, right?" Jim agreed, taking a sip of his coffee. "The guy's so egocentric, even when he wasn't the General. Remember when he had all those body doubles?"

"Ha! And he was just a lab worker for Hollander? That's like a grocery store clerk wearing kevlar! I was like 'you're not important enough to kill, man, hello!'"

The pair left laughing. I looked at Xion and Lambda. "Sounds like that General Ryan is the main man here. We should be able to cover more ground if..."

"I don't think splitting up is a good idea though," Xion said.

"She's right, the risk is too great," Lambda agreed.

"...I never said anything about us splitting up," I said, raising my hand.

A pool of darkness appeared on the ground. Out of it came two smaller-than-average Shadows, a one eyed Soldier, a scarred Darkball, a wingless Invisible and Midori.

"Guys, meet the twins, Loco and Leeta, Patch the Soldier, the Darkball is called Kuro and the Invisible is called Vanish. You've already met my right hand man." My little Heartless squad took one look at Lambda and Xion then promptly hid behind my leg. "Now, now, don't be afraid," I soothed. "They won't hurt you."

"And er...what good will they do?" Xion asked.

"Scouting. Recon. Duh," I replied.

"They don't look very...useful," Lambda said, earning at hiss from Patch.

"Patch, be nice to the mean lady!" I scowled. "Don't worry, these guys are used to keeping out of harm's way. The Realm of Darkness isn't too kind to the weak."

"And you know that how?" Lambda asked sceptically.

"They tell me about it," I smiled.

"Uh huh..."

I nodded, then turned to Midori. "Can you keep an eye them for me?" Midori nodded. "Good. We're looking for a guy called General Ryan, if you find anything on him let me know _immediately_."

"Noted," he said before disappearing with the others.

When they were gone I noticed Xion and Lambda looking at me oddly. "...What?" I asked genuinely confused.

"You...just summoned Heartless..." Xion said.

"Yeah...?"

"What the _actual HELL?!_"

I looked at the annoyed Xion to the hateful glare of Lambda. "Do you er...need an explanation?"

"Yes!" Xion snapped.

"Um...Xehanort experimented on me. I gained my ability to wield the Keyblade through that but I became half Heartless. So I can summon other...weaker Heartless. It's why this eye," I pointed to my left eye. "Is gold. Does that do for you?"

"A little warning would've been nice," Xion muttered. "Let's go."

-*IV*-

Alarms blared as General Ryan powered down the corridors. They had been infiltrated by those blasted Keybearers! And to top things off they had a small Heartless infestation. Perfect.

"General!" a soldier shouted when Ryan entered the control room.

"What is it?" he asked sharply.

"T-The intruders...they're headed for the cargo hold. M-Maybe we can...S-Sir?"

Ryan thought for a moment. Why had he never done any _real _military training when Rufus was in charge? "Soldiers! If Shin-Ra is to stand tall once more we can't let those fools wreck Project: SOLDIER before it has a chance to be reborn! Don't let anyone leave the base, Shin-Ra or otherwise! Mobilize the Proud Clad!"

"B-but, Sir! It's not ready..."

"I gave you an order, soldier! Now, move!"

-*IV*-

_**Shade**_

"Move, move, move!" I yelled as we dodged yet another slug of bullets.

"Do you do this a lot?" Xion asked.

"No," I replied. "Normally we're running from magic not bullets."

"Your Heartless better be right about this," Lambda growled.

"Of course they are," I said, kicking a soldier in the back of the knees. "When are Heartless ever wrong?"

Lambda eyed me as she punched down another soldier. We rounded a corner, barrelling through several more Shin-Ra troops. As it happens, my little squad of Heartless had discovered a series of labs on the other side of the complex. Unfortunately we had been discovered, the place was in lock down and we had half the Shin-Ra Remnant on our backs trying to kill us.

Y'know. Regular stuff.

"Now where?" Xion asked as we paused for a quick breather.

I closed my eyes and sniffed the air, sensing the direction my squad went. A little known fact about Heartless is that they, like rats, leave scent trails wherever they go. It's why you can leave one place then come back ten minutes later to find more of the critters.

"Stairs..." I said, holding out my arm and spinning, ending with a point to our right. "That'a way."

Xion nodded then turned to Lambda, who was fiddling with a small black box.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"Preparing something," Lambda replied curtly, putting the box in the bag that was aroun her waist. "We ready?"

"Erm...yeah," I said slowly.

Silence.

"...Then let's get going," Lambda said, annoyed.

-*IV*-

We managed to avoid the worst of the troops as we headed for the labs. Whether that was by sheer luck or planned we didn't know. It didn't stop us from using an awful lot of potions after fighting the few we did bump into. I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather not use Curaga and end up fighting a buttload of enemies while waiting for my magic to recharge. It seems like something that would_ incredibly_ annoying.

Eventually we came to a large steel door with a keypad on it. Lambda set about trying to unlock it.

"Well this doesn't look ominous at all," I said dryly.

"You said this was the quickest way," Lambda said as she inspected the keypad. "Don't blame me for threatening doors."

"Do you know what you're doing?" Xion asked.

"If you let me concentrate, yes."

Then came the sound of guns being readied.

"Freeze intruders!" a soldier shouted. We complied, naturally. "Now turn around with your hands up. _Slowly._"

Xion and I did so. Lambda on the other hand stayed facing the door.

"Lambda," Xion whispered. "Turn around so the nice soldiers don't fill us with bullets."

"I'm thinking."

"About what?" I asked.

Lambda slowly turned around, grabbing something from her bag as she did so. "When I say so, shut your eyes."

"What's she up to?" a female soldier asked.

"I'm with Shin-Ra on this one," I agreed. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Well, I'm not going to tell you while _they _are here am I?!"

"Oh, don't mind us," another soldier said.

"Just whisper it," I shrugged.

"Are you trying to piss me off, or are you just stupid?! They'll hear it!"

"No we won't," the girl soldier said. "Our hearing is _terrible_."

"Y-yeah, we didn't even hear that."

"Shut up, Ross!"

Lambda rolled her eyes. "Keep your eyes shut!"

She threw what was in her hand; a flash grenade, right in the middle of the soldiers. Xion and I turned. We heard the door open then felt Lambda drag us through. Then the door slid shut.

"I destroyed the keypad, they can't get in," Lambda said. "...You can open your eyes now, Shade.

"Oh, thank gods," I sighed.

Taking a quick look round I saw we were in some sort of freezing cold cargo hold. It was dark, only lit by bright, humming floodlights. There were many steel crates dotted around in rows, plus tanks, jeeps, weapon crates, everything really. And at the far end, another door.

"Well," Lambda said slowly and begrudgingly. "It seems like your Heartless were right."

"Is that a compliment?" I said smugly.

"Suppose so."

"Great, I really feel like we're finally bonding!" I smiled, ready to hug her.

"Don't touch me."

I merely grinned.

"Ah, you've finally arrived," a snide voice said over the intercom.

"General Ryan, I presume?" Xion asked.

Ryan scoffed. "You've been a real thorn in our plans. I-"

"Wait, we've literally been here three days!" I yelled.

"And you've given the town hope. We will have Jenova and Shin-Ra will once again be mighty!"

"You really think Jenova will benefit you?" Lambda asked. "...You're even stupider than I thought."

"Enough of this!" Ryan bellowed. "Time for all to taste oblivion!"

"Wow..._that's _the best line he could come with?" I asked Xion and Lambda.

**(Firefly- Arkham Origins OST)**

A clanging sound came from one of the larger containers. **CLANG**. **CLANG**. **CLANG**. Then the front of the container burst open, revealing a towering red mech. It was bipedal and had four arm, each end in giant razor sharp claws. Four machine guns surround the cockpit that was built into its chest while a huge cannon was strapped to its back.

**Proud Clad**

Xion looked at me. "You _really _had to say that didn't you?"

The mech immediately charged at us, forcing us to scatter. When we were at a relatively safe distance Lambda turned and summon two swords, one crackling like lightning and the other glinting like ice. She ran towards the mech, launching herself in an attempt to slash the body. She pinged off it without making a dent.

"I got you!" I shouted, catching her and breaking out into a run as the guns on his chest whirred into life, strafing the ground with bullets.

I darted behind a container and put Lambda down. She grunted a thanks and climbed the container, one of her swords charged with electricity. At the top she began to fire off bolts of lightning at the mech. The machine stumbled a little, whirring.

I took advantage of the attack to rush it. I summoned my Keyblade and darted through the maze of containers. Thankfully the mech wasn't hard to lose sight of. Unfortunately it spotted and, with one of its hands picked up a container and through it at me.

"Uh oh..." I said quickly picking up speed.

Before it landed Xion came out of nowhere, her Keyblade looking like some sort of arrow of light. She darted through the container, slicing it in half then attacked the mech with three consecutive strikes. Wait...that's Sonic Blade! Doesn't Sora...

I shook it out of my mind, focus on getting a decent shot. With Lambda's electric attacks and Xion keeping it distracted I managed to get to it relatively unharmed, though its wrist laser were a nightmare to dodge.

I skidded around a corner, pointing the tip of my Keyblade at the machine. A prism of angry purple light formed. Before the pilot of the mech had a chance to react I swung my Keyblade round. "Anima!" I chanted. The prism fired off, homing in on the mech and exploding brightly.

"Nice shot!" Xion cheered.

"See, Lambda? Xion appreciates me!" I grinned at her.

Lambda raised an eyebrow, then looked at the mech. "Guys, move it!"

We turned to find the mech on its hands and knees, charging the massive cannon on its back.

"Give it up, girls!" Ryan shouted from the tannoy. "The Proud Clad was designed to fight against the Weapons, you can't beat it!"

The cannon fired a massive beam that streaked across the floor, powerful enough to leave a deep cut in the floor. We managed to dodge and regroup behind some crates. Geez, how do we beat this thing?

"So...anyone know how to beat giant robots?" I asked.

"I thought you'd have fought giant robots before?" Xion asked.

"Yeah, you'd think that..." I mused.

"First we take out that cannon on its back," Lambda said out of the blue. "Then we take out the legs. Then the rest of it."

And before we could say anything Lambda dashed off. I looked at Xion, who shrugged. Rolling my eyes I followed, hoping to keep the mech distracted while Xion and Lambda took out the cannon.

Why did I put myself up for distraction duty?

I shook out the disbelief at my own volunteering and decided to annoy the driver. While Lambda and Xion stuck to the edges of the room I did what any sane woman would do and charged straight down the middle. The driver spotted me of course and began to fire on me with the guns around the cockpit.

I swore loudly, keeping low to the ground as the bullets strafed behind me. Taking refuge behind the some containers I charged up a Dark Firaga, stuck my hand out and fired, praying it would hit.

Nothing.

Ever so slowly I peeked around the corner. Suddenly the sound of metal crunching deafened me as the mech pulled the containers apart.

"Oh, fuck!" I swore, bolting away like a frightened deer. "Guys now would be a good time to do the thing!"

Right on cue I swore Lambda launch herself at the mech covered in electricity and ice. She landed on the back, impaling her swords into it. The machine jolted as electricity coursed through. Lambda's head popped up near the cannon, freezing the joints with large chunks of ice. Xion came flying out of nowhere using Sonic Blade on the ice. With a loud groan the cannon slowly slid off and crashed on the ground.

"Woo!" I cheered.

"What are you doing, you dolt?!" Ryan fumed over the tannoy. "Get your act together and kill them for the might of Shin-Ra!"

The mech whirred a little, then, with all four arms outstretched the entire upper body span around like a top, throwing Lambda and Xion off. I quickly opened up two Dark Corridors for the pair, letting them land safely next to me.

"So..." Xion said, standing up. "Legs, right?"

"Right..." Lambda said, visibly worked up.

Lambda charged at the mech, Xion and I trailing behind. The mech slammed one of its fist into the ground, cracking the ground. Lambda vaulted over it and fired a bolt of lightning at the leg joint while Xion followed up with a powerful Firaga Burst, causing the mech to stumble.

"I got it!" I yelled, opening a pool of darkness on the ground and slipped into it. I charged in the pool, rushing to the joint. Once I was a under it I fired out like a bullet, dislodging the damaged leg. By the time I'd finished Xion and Lambda were done with the other leg. I fired an Anima at the joint, dislodging it. The mech collapsed onto its belly, rolling onto its back. Lambda pounced onto the cockpit and forced it open before punching the pilot out cold.

**(End 'Firefly')**

"We good?" I asked.

Lambda gave a polite nod. "The labs are just through there, come on."

-*IV*-

_**Shin-Ra Base, Lab**_

We entered the lab and immediately began looking around. Despite the papers and equipments on the desks there was nothing of any help anywhere. How...irritating.

"Lambda, you found anything yet?" I asked.

"Don't talk to me," she snapped.

"Oh, what have I done _now?_"

Lambda whipped round and grabbed me by my collar. "I should've exorcised you on the spot for that stint with the Heartless!"

"H-Hey, simmer down, ok?" I said, trying to laugh it off.

"No! You are a disgrace to everything we stand for! As soon as we're done here I'm getting Zero to get rid of that abomination inside you!"

Then she dropped me, leaving...I don't know what the word was. Stunned? Shocked? Upset? I was feeling all those things...and I understand what she meant but...how could someone who's belief professes peace and understanding be that...horrible to someone who was a little bit different. I just couldn't process it.

I would soon learn that it wasn't just her that felt that way.

"You ok?" Xion asked, helping me up.

"Y-yeah I'm...fine," I managed.

"Oh, my word!" Lambda shouted in fright from across the room.

We dashed to her, wondering what had scared her. She was stood around a table with a mangled, charred corpse on it. The corpse of a child.

"What the...?" Xion breathed.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." I said, finding a nearby bucket.

"D-Do...do we know who it is?" Xion asked.

"I'm checking," Lambda replied, typing on a computer that was next to the body. "They've been running tests, apparently they've had trouble finding usable DNA. The stuff on here is...awful...aha! Got it!"

Then her face fell. I walked up behind her, a shiver running down my spine. "No way..." I breathed.

"Then...who is...?" Xion asked.

Lambda quickly picked up her communicator. "My Lord, we have a problem."

"What is it?" Zero asked.

" There's a body here, the body of a child...it's..."

"We don't have all day Lambda, we're at the Jenova Doll."

"Gwen! The body in front of us...i-it's Gwen's!"

* * *

**Post A/N: **It should be noted that you haven't seen the last of General Ryan. It should also be noted that updates after this arc will be a bit slow as I'm going to be working on actually finish my Sonic fic and then making headway with _**Rogue**_ cos God knows it needs to be worked on.


	10. 9) Jenova

**A/N: **This chapter was the cause of major writer's block.

Also, this chapter starts immediately after the group split up in chapter 7.

Also also, KHIV has clocked 1000 views. Wew.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Brave New World

**09: **Jenova

_**Haven**_, _**Governor's Office**_

Sora, Kairi, Vincent and Zero headed into Huxter's office.

"Huxter, we need you to..." Zero said trailing off at the sight.

Kairi clung to Sora as he recoiled with horror. Sprawled in his chair, suit jacket splattered with blood from his slit neck, was a dead Huxter. Vincent walked up to him and silently gave him his last rites.

"This is bad," Sora said. "Who could have done this?"

"I don't know, we might have a Shin-Ra spy in our midst..." Zero replied, thinking. "We need to find Jenova, and fast."

"But what about the Governor's body?" Kairi asked, a little pale.

"Nothing," Zero said dismissively. "We're in the middle of a warzone, dead bodies are a regular thing."

"We need to move, my Lord," Vincent said. "If Shin-Ra are heading to Jenova..."

Zero nodded and the four of them made tracks.

-*IV*-

_**Town**_

The group ran through the town, putting down any Shin-Ra soldiers that stood in their way. Sora had to admit, although Zero was incredibly untrustworthy he was a capable fighter and he always stepped in to help him or Kairi when they were in trouble, though Sora felt that this was more than likely because of the truce than anything else.

Sticking to the backstreets (mainly to avoid the raging battle with Sephiroth) the group managed to work their way to the base of the town's temple.

Kairi looked up the large wall that the temple was embedded in. "So how do we get in. There's no door at the bottom."

Zero pointed. "There's an entrance about halfway up the wall and a path that leads to it on the left."

Zero pointed to an out-of-the-way cave entrance. Sora had to admit having Zero on their side was a huge benefit.

A scream pierced the air. Immediately Sora and Kairi ran in the direction, much to Zero's annoyance. As the pair rounded a corner they saw Gwen surrounded by several Soldier Heartless. Wasting no time Sora and Kairi dispatched the Heartless with relative ease.

"T-Thank you," Gwen said timidly.

"No problem," Sora smiled. "You need to get somewhere safe."

Gwen shook her head and grabbed Sora's hand. "I want to stay with you."

"We don't have time for this," Zero groaned from behind them. "You come with us, but you stay out of our way."

Gwen nodded quickly and Zero powered off into the cave.

Sora ran after him. "Hey, don't you think it's dangerous to bring a child along?"

Zero didn't look at him. "We don't have time to find her a safe place and guard her," he berated. "I get that you're idealistic, but things are coming to a head and, in the grand scheme of things, Gwen is very low on the list."

"That's...that's a very cynical way of looking at things," Kairi said.

"No, it's a realistic way of looking at things," Zero snapped.

The cave itself was crawling with Heartless. Sora was silently relieved that they were only the weaker species, Shadows, Soldiers and a few Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies, but they were still annoying nonetheless. Kairi seemed to be holding her against them, the training she had with Yen Sid and the King after Xehanort's death evidently paying off.

Gwen stayed at the back of the group, trying to keep her head down. Oddly enough the Heartless wouldn't go near her, making Sora a little anxious. Heartless would never stray from a victim, regardless of what they were and the fact that they were giving a small child such a wide girth was slightly terrifying.

After an intense fight the group made it to the entrance of the tomb, a golden metal door that was, much to Zero's surprise, already open.

"That's impossible," Vincent said.

"Then that means that someone's already been in..." Sora realised, readying himself.

"Or that something..." Kairi started, not wishing to finish the sentence.

Zero looked at them then eyed the tomb door cautiously. Slowly, weapons drawn, they went in. The only way was down several stone steps, the flame torches dimly lighting the inky gloom. The stairs eventually gave way to a large room filled with ornamental jars and scrawlings on the wall that matched the symbols in the temple that they found Zack in. Zero was visibly amazed but his attention quickly changed to a large metal container in the shape of an eerie looking angel. Slowly he and Sora opened it, jumping back quickly just in case...

"It's...empty?" Sora asked.

"Oh, no..." Zero said quickly. "This is bad we need to..."

Gwen moved past the stunned group to staring at the container, curious.

Zero's communicator went off, breaking the deadly silence. It was Lambda. "My Lord, we have a problem."

"What is it?" Zero asked.

" There's a body here, the body of a child...it's..."

"We don't have all day Lambda, we're at the Jenova Doll."

"Gwen! The body in front of us...i-it's Gwen's!"

A collective shiver went down the backs of the four of them, eyes bearing down on the back of Gwen. She remained silent.

**(J-E-N-O-V-A-FFVIIACC)**

"Lambda. Get back here now," Zero ordered, putting the communicator away. "Gwen..."

"Poor little girl," 'Gwen' said in a markedly more mature tone, almost cruel. "She was ever so curious. And it was ever so easy to impersonate her. Nobody ever suspects a child." She turned, pupils slit like a cat's eyes. "And while those silly little creatures were tearing themselves apart I could formulate my rightful return to godhood."

"Jenova..." Sora gasped.

Jenova snickered as it distorted Gwen's body, growing into a tall, mature woman with pale blue/purple skin. A single bat-like wing grew out of her back while Gwen's nails became piercing claws. Her bottom jaw cracked open, becoming bifurcated, while her ribs tore and poked out of her chest.

**JENOVA**

**HOLY F*#KING SH!T!**

"Everyone back up!" Zero shouted.

The group did so as Jenova fired several Waterga spells at them, laughing maniacally. Jenova came at them, claws outstretched. It slashed at Sora who immediately fired off a Firaga into its chest. Jenova backed up a little while Kairi, Vincent and Zero moved to flank it. Sora slashed the monster quickly causing it to shriek. It batted Sora away with its wing, knocking him to the ground.

"I wonder what it would be like in your shape, Keybearer?" Jenova hissed, standing menacingly over him.

"Don't touch him!" Kairi screamed, unleashing a powerful Thundara spell, stunning Jenova.

Zero followed up with a powerful blow from his giant sword, Cleaver. Jenova skidded along the ground, stopping itself with its claws. Jenova flew towards Zero with its single wing, grabbing the sword and snapping at him with its teeth. Sora and Kairi both fired several powerful Thundara and Thundaga spells at it, allowing Zero to press something on one of his wrist gauntlets. A small gun popped out, firing a powerful laser right in Jenova's face.

"You think a cheap parlour trick like that will stop me?!" Jenova roared. "I'll show you just how much trouble you've brought on yourselves!"

Jenova strained and chuckled as a tail shot out of its back. It aimed the razor sharp tip at them. "Do you like _my_ laser?"

"Vincent!" Zero shouted.

"On it," Vincent said, silently casting Haste from his bo stuff.

Sora and Kairi felt a rush of adrenaline flow through them. Darting around Jenova they fired bursts of Firaga and Thundaga from their Keyblades. Jenova roared and rushed towards Sora, throwing him up in the air before kicking him down to the ground. Kairi took the chance to launch a powerful Faith spell.

Jenova roared, landing on the ground on the ground in pain. Sora stood up. "Where'd you learn that?" he asked.

"Ven taught me," Kairi smiled.

"He's got to teach me that," Sora grinned.

"If we could cut the pleasantries?" Zero asked, irritated as he dragged Sora to his feet. "Enough chatting and _focus!_"

Sora looked at Kairi, who shrugged. Jenova had managed to recover and began to launch a series of Watergas at them, the water burning their skin.

"You think that you can stop me?!" Jenova roared. "I destroyed the entire Cetra civilization!" It fired several sweeping lasers at them, stunning them. "And countless others before them!" Jenova charged at Sora. "Consumed a Realm of flesh and bone!"

Sora blocked and hit the monster with a Reversal, kicking it back. Jenova hissed again, arms turning into sharp tentacles, swinging them at the group. They dodged, barely. The tentacles came around again, this time at Kairi. She squeaked and fired a Blizzara spell at it, freezing the tentacle, the momentum sending it crashing into the ground. The tentacle shattered on impact. Jenova screamed as its cut limb dangled. The beast looked at them with utter hatred.

It charged them again, its remaining arm back to its clawed form. Vincent quickly cast Protect and took the brunt of the attack, the claws cutting deep into him.

Vincent grunted and hit Jenova with his staff while Sora charged at the monster with Fire Raid. Jenova pushed them back. As it did, Zero came in close and struck it with Cleaver while Vincent cast Haste on the group.

The group darted around the beast but it roared in frustration, throwing its arm out. "Stopga!"

The group froze, Jenova walking around them. "Poor, poor Keybearers." It smirked as Sora's eyes darted to look at Jenova. "You may be the, heh, the 'heroes'. But I am a _god_. You cannot hope to stop me." Jenova walked to Zero and Vincent. "And you're just a joke."

Zero tried to frown. Jenova scoffed. "I think I shall find that 'son' of mine first. I will absorb him. Ha! Imagine the bonus _that _would give me. Then I'll get off this rock. Heh heh heh...and then..."

Sora strained as much as he could against the spell, forcing his body to move. Straining, he twirled the _Kingdom Key _around, firing a powerful Firaga at Jenova. The monster roared as it set alight. Unfocused, Jenova's spell broke and the group stumbled. Zero pulled a small grenade from his belt and threw it at Jenova. The explosion threw the beast against the wall. It collapsed on the floor, bloodied.

"Fire spells! Now!" Zero shouted.

Sora and Kairi complied, bombarding Jenova with as many fire spells as they could, Zero helping with his wrist laser.

With one last dying shriek Jenova burned to a cinder, leaving nothing but a scorch mark on the ground.

"Is it over?" Kairi asked hesitantly.

"I think so," Sora nodded. He looked at Zero. "We have a _lot _of explaining to do."

"Agreed," the man said solemnly.


	11. 10) Contact

**A/N: **This chapter is a little shorter than the others. Think of it as an epilogue to this arc. After this the REAL fun begins. AHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA***Coughs***

Also, check my profile for updates. If I'm behind there's a good chance that the 'updates' section has a thing about what's going on.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Brave New World

**10: **Contact

_**Haven, Shin-Ra Labs**_

_**Shade**_

As Xion prepared another Future Cube I walked to Lambda. She was fiddling with that box. Curiosity got the better of me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"A bomb," she replied with complete indifference.

"You were carrying a _bomb?!_" I shrieked.

She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

"But..._why?_"

"Well, we have to stop Shin-Ra somehow."

"But with a _bomb?!_ That's a little far Lambda!"

"And you, what, thought you could stop an entire army with words?" she said with a sarcastic sweetness.

I glowered at her, rage seething from me. "They don't have to die."

Lambda looked at me, annoyed. "And you're going to what? Talk? And if that fails, then what? They won't back down. They won't something, they will go for it one way or another. And you'll fight them, am I right? They have numbers and vastly outgun you. Better to snuff out the head now than chip away at the body for weeks."

Lambda pushed past me and set the bomb up. "And what about Lux Vera? When this is over we'll become enemies again, correct?"

"Most likely."

"And you're not going to stop reaching for whatever it is you want?"

"Lord Zero wants the same thing as you. Peace," Lambda said patronisingly. "We just have two different ways of going about it."

"Yeah, manipulation and brainwashing," I muttered.

"If it makes people see sense then it works," Lambda said simply.

'_Hypocrite_' I thought bitterly.

I glanced at Xion, who merely shrugged. I sighed and stood by her, waiting for Lambda to finish. When she did she joined us and we teleported back to the war torn town. The battle was over and many of the townsfolk were being treated or...well, bodybagged. I saw Riku with Sora and Kairi, while Cloud was being seen to, albeit reluctantly, by Tifa and Zack.

"Hey," I said coming up to Sora and the others with Riku. There was no real response. "Everything alright?" I asked.

"Gwen was Jenova," Kairi said sadly.

A small shiver ran up my spine. That explained the body. I gave Sora and Kairi a tight hug. "Well it's over now. That's all that matters."

Despite that, I still gave Riku a sad look. He smiled sadly and mouthed that we'll talk later. Thank the gods.

Suddenly an explosion ripped through the wasteland and my heart sank. Sure enough a large plume of smoke was rising from where the base would be on the horizon. I glared at Lux Vera with a hatred I had reserved for Xehanort.

"What the hell was that?!" Zack yelled, walking up to Zero.

"We were merely tying up loose ends," I said with a pleasant smile. "You surely wouldn't want these people to be subjected to any more of Shin-Ra's attacks, would you?"

"You just blow up hundreds of people!" Cloud shouted.

"Compared to how many _you've _killed in the name of self-defence?" he said darkly, adding with cruel laugh. "Or the ones you killed without remorse when you took on Zack's identity for your own?"

We were stunned into silence. I had heard from Aerith about Cloud's case of amnesia, something to do with the trauma of some Frankenstein style experiments and watch his best friend die. But to use that as...? That's just horrible.

Cloud stared at Zero, unsure of what to say. Zero's mouth curled into a smile. "Now then, since Shin-Ra have been defeated I'd say we did a good job together." He came to us with his hand outstretched. Needless to say we refused the handshake. "...Well...Vincent, Lambda and I will be staying here to study the ruins. I shall say though." Something about him changed. His face became dark and deadly serious. "I look forward to our next meeting, considering we'll probably be seeing a lot of each other over the next few months." With that Zero walked off with Lambda and Vincent.

We stayed for a bit to make sure everyone was alright then left in the Gummi Ship. We didn't talk much at first but, in the end, the silence was arguably worse. So we put on the radio. Back in Black by AC/DC. No complaints there.

"So what do you want to do when we get back?" Kairi asked trying to start up a conversation.

Sora thought. "Pizza sounds good."

"Mmmm meat feast," I whispered, my mouth salivating.

Xion sniggered a little, the pervert. "I don't mind pizza."

"Pizza it is then," Riku said, kicking in the Gummi Ship's boosters.

"If it's all the same to you guys we'd like to get back to Radiant Garden," Tifa said. "I think it's best Zack and Aerith have a catch up."

"That's fine," Sora smiled.

The radio began acting funny. I fiddled with dial, but the static just seemed to get worse.

"Hang on, I hear something," Kairi said, messing with me hand.

"What do you mean?" I asked, skeptic. "You know the first sign of madness is hearing voices." I teased.

**(Cry for the Moon [Instrumental]- Epica)**

Kairi gave me a sharp look, then smiled. She fiddled with the dial a bit more and, sure enough a young woman's could be heard through the static. "Hello, can anybody hear me?"

"Yeah, we hear you," Riku said.

The woman gave a sigh of relief. "That's good. Give me a second."

The radio returned to normal but the computer screen started to flicker. Soon we could see the image of a youthful fair skinned woman with long, dark brown hair and piercing icy-blue eyes. "Hello, Keybearers. My name is EVE. I am an artificial intelligence."

I looked at the others. "Sure, why not."

EVE frowned. "You are not shocked by this?"

"We've seen talking lions, ghost pirates and a witch turn into a dragon," Sora said. "You don't really stand out much."

EVE gave a small giggle. "Very well. My function is to help the defenders of the Realm of Light. As such I have sort you out for a very long time. I have reason to believe that Zero is going to be a bigger threat to you than Xehanort ever was."

"What does he want?" Riku asked, intrigued.

"Control," EVE replied. "Everyone submitted to the One Light, and by extension, his will. And what better way to brainwash and control the masses than filling them with hope and safety? And he won't stop until he has it."

"Do you know why?" Xion asked from the back.

"Zero is a very intelligent man, more so than Xehanort. But he is driven by a believe that he will bring peace to the Realm of Light. And he doesn't care how he achieves it. I would rather tell the whole thing with all of your allies. Is there anywhere I can be stored for portable transport?"

Kairi quickly went into a drawer and pulled out a small device. Cid had designed it as a small holographic computer and it also included storage for an AI. You know what Cid's like, he always likes to have the most up-to-date equipment. He can thank his rivalry with Kara for that.

"Here," Kairi said, connecting the handheld to the main computer.

"Thank you," EVE said, transferring herself. "Oooh...it's roomy in here."

**(End Cry for the Moon)**

-*IV*-

_**Haven **_

"We have him, my Lord," Vincent said pulling the body out of the rubble. "I'm amazed he's still alive."

Zero looked down at the battered and burned body. "Well, well General Ryan..." he smiled. "Looks like you need a saviour."


	12. 11) Order and Control

**A/N: **BIG AUTHORS NOTE

So a lot of things have been going on in my personal life lately. For the BIG thing, refer to my profile page and look at my bio, it pretty much says what it is and I've been dealing with the fallout of...well, letting my parents know.

Second, if any of you guys enjoy reading _**Halo **_fanfics as well, I recommend you check **ilmiopassato's **_**'The Natalie Cooper Series'**_it's brilliant, I have her in my favourite authors list if you wish to read them.

Third, I've started leaving updates on my profile of what's going on with all my fics _so_ if a chapter is taking a while to put up, chances are the reason why is on my profile.

Fourth...BIG HERO 6 HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THE ACTUAL _**KINGDOM HEARTS III! **_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

* * *

**Disclaimer: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**11: **Order and Control

_**Radiant Garden**_

_**Shade**_

We landed at the Foundry and filed out of the Gummi Ship. It was sunset and the sky was a canvas of oranges and purples. The Foundry was getting quiet now and only the faint sounds of engines and pistons could be heard from the districts. Most of the people there now were either leaving or settling down for a night shift. As usual the giant ship dominated much of the district horizon.

"So, this is Radiant Garden?" EVE said from inside her new home. "Fascinating!"

"You've never been to another world?" I asked.

"The technology that allows me to jump into devices such as this one is few and far between. As such I have had a hard time tracking you down."

I looked at Riku. What could I say? It was a good answer.

We left the Foundry quickly and headed straight for the Restoration Committee's HQ. On the way we treated ourselves at one of the various hot dog vendors. Despite the good food on Haven something about deep fried pig meat in a calorie filled bun was too good an opportunity to miss sometimes.

Walking down the main shopping district though, you could really see how far Radiant Garden had come. Despite the hardships the town had faced things were really looking up for the place, and the people knew it. Gone were the days of living in fear of the next disaster and the Heartless attacks were only few and far between. The streets were now full of busy, happy, smiling people actually _living _here instead of surviving here.

Take this pretty young woman walking up to us. Though obviously hopelessly lost, it didn't deter the smile she wore on her face. She was a petite girl with deep, dark brown eyes and black hair with caramel streaks dotted through it. She was wearing a long sleeveless blue rib-knit duster sweater, a black tank top, a denim button-up skirt and black bike shorts. On her necklace was a ring shaped into a silver winged lion's head.

"Um, hello," she said sweetly.

"Hey," Sora smiled, ever the man to help a lady in distress.

"I'm a little lost," she said with a nervous laugh. "I don't suppose you could point in the direction of the Restoration Committee HQ?"

"No problem, we're heading there now," Sora replied enthusiastically.

"Oh, really? That's great! I'm Rinoa by the way."

"I'm Sora," Sora said as we began to walk. "These are Riku, Kairi, Xion, Shade, Cloud, Zack and Tifa."

"Hey Rinoa," Tifa smiled with a faint familairity.

"Hey Tifa," Rinoa said, smiling back.

I looked at Riku, who looked at them. "You two know each other?" he asked.

Rinoa merely smiled.

-*IV*-

_**Radiant Garden Restoration Committee HQ**_

As soon as we'd walked in everyone gave us a big group hug. We avoided the details of what had happened on Haven. Some things you just don't talk about.

"We fought Sephiroth and evil alien demi-god," Sora said to summarize it all.

Rinoa sat on the sofa, listening intently as Yuffie filled her in on what Sora and the rest of us had done. She smiled, laughed and giggled on the odd occasion, even joked with Yuffie. I wonder how she knew them so well...

Needless to say Aerith broke down in tears when she saw the sight of Zack. Cid did a quick med-scan of him and, thankfully, none of those Jenova cells were inside of him. He and Aerith then went out for walk and a much needed talk.

With everyone suitably caught up Cid hooked up EVE to the building's central computer.

"Ahhhh, goddamn it, yer glowy AI!" Cid yelled, exasperated, as his homepage disappeared while EVE uploaded herself. "Do yer really have to do that?!"

"No," she admitted as her face filled the screen. "However, if I have a small fragment in here I can act as a central hub, allowing me to communicate with any other device that has my data." The small device she'd downloaded herself on hummed. "Like so," she said from it.

"Right..." Cid said, sceptical. "Like a virus."

EVE ignored the comment. "Right, if you are all ready?"

"Shouldn't we wait for Leon?" Sora asked.

"Someone say my name?" Leon asked as he conveniently walked in with a bag full of delicious smelling food.

"And just where have you been, Squall?" Rinoa said, with her hands on her hips.

"Chinese," Leon said, nonchanlantly.

"Give him five seconds," Zack said to us quietly, counting on his fingers.

Leon's head snapped to Rinoa. She smiled and waved. "I...I...I..." he spluttered.

"Haha, he sounds like a motorboat," I giggled.

"When did you get here?" Leon said, hugging Rinoa tightly.

Ohhh.

"Why are they doing that?" Riku asked.

"She's his girlfriend," Cloud said.

"Oh..." Sora replied.

"Whaaaaaat?" Sora, Riku and Kairi gasped in unison.

Leon...'Squall' (hehehe) and Rinoa ignored us all. "How have you been?" Leon asked.

"Oh, same old, same old," Rinoa smiled. "Balamb's not the same without you."

"How are Quistis, Zell and Irvine doing?"

"They're part of SeeD now. Everyone's doing fine, well..." she winked. "Fine enough for me to come check on you."

"If we I could have your attention?" EVE said pleasantly.

"Oh, sorry," Rinoa said, laughing apologetically.

"It's alright," EVE said, smiling.

**(Bouryaku no Hate- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST)**

EVE closed her eyes and seemed to take in a deep breath. "Zero is thirty-two years old. Since the age he could read he has been researching the First Keyblade War and the original Keyblade Order. At first it was a childhood story, legends of knights and demons.

"But then he became obsessed. It ate away at him like a parasite. At the age of eighteen he set about gathering followers, building a power base. His group, Lux Vera, are his 'chosen people' and each one follows him with blind loyalty, swearing to follow his One Light to death."

"Why would anyone follow him?" Sora asked. "The man's a lunatic."

"Zero has multiple strengths," EVE explained. "He's incredibly intelligent and knows how to use it to manipulate people for his own gain. Not only that, but your war with Master Xehanort became quite noticeable by the end. Zero has also found ways to reverse engineer technology left behind by the First Civilization."

"The what now?" I asked.

"When the world was one the Keyblade Order was made up of a species known as the Orinexus, a race similar to humans in many aspects but markedly different. They were more advanced than you humans and most of the technology was sealed away prior to the First Keyblade War. Zero has found some and reverse engineered it. However Zero has one last power."

We all looked around. "Hypnosis?" Xion suggested. "If he was a hypnotist that'd really screw things up."

"No. Charisma! The sheer emotive power that drives a soldier to fight for a dictator, or a believer to put all their faith in a corrupt cult. That is what causes them to revere Zero like they do!"

"You said he wants control," Riku said. "What do you mean?"

"Zero's ultimate goal it is unify the worlds," EVE said. "He plans to do this by showing them the might of his god personally. The Orinexus will install fear and awe into the hearts of the people, unifying them to one cause with Zero at the top of the pyramid so to speak."

"You're talking like they're still around," Leon said.

"They are," EVE said, sending a shiver down our spines. "Well...one is at least. If you want to stop Zero, you need to stop him from freeing the Last Orinexus."

"Where is it?" Sora asked, worried.

**(End ' Bouryaku no Hate')**

"That...I don't know..." EVE said sadly. "_But! _Neither does Zero, that puts you on an even footing. If you take away the advanced technology part."

"Well..." Sora smiled. "I don't know about you guys, but that sounds like a fun adventure!"

"Oh, this is going to be so cool!" Kairi grinned, Sora's infectious optimism rubbing off on her.

"Beating a fanatic to releasing a god?" Riku smirked. "I'm in."

"What about Xion?" I asked. "Wanna help us."

Xion smiled. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

-*IV*-

_**Disney Town, Disney Castle**_

King Mickey walked calmly through the halls of Disney Castle. Since Vanitas' attack on the world things had been incredibly peaceful, even more so with Xehanort's and Maleficent's deaths.

Something was on the King's mind however, specifically concerning Lux Vera.

He knew that the group's core members, Zero, Lambdadelta and Vincent, were interested in the First Keyblade War but different reasons than Xehanort. While Xehanort had obsessed over the X-blade and the damage it had caused for the Realm of Light, Lux Vera, and Zero in particular, appeared to have an intense interest in the civilization that existed _before _the First Keyblade War. Furthermore, while Xehanort was a madman his research into the First Keyblade War was highly prized among historians interested in that era and was now left defenceless in his absence.

While Mickey did not own any of these records he, thankfully, had enough connections on the various Worlds to know the vary basics of the majority of the reports. But the reports and research was not enough. Lux Vera were somehow getting information from someone who had more knowledge than Xehanort. Or at the very least, a took on the knowledge from a different angle.

As he entered to the castle's library he found Goofy setting down an new set of books and papers on his desk.

"Oh, g'mornin', Your Majesty!" Goofy said cheerfully. "I got you the reports you asked for!"

Mickey smiled "Thank you, Goofy. Have there been any reports on the movements of Lux Vera."

"Um...they haven't left Haven yet, Your Majesty. They're studyin' them ruins."

Mickey nodded. "You and Donald keep up the good work."

Goofy nodded and gave a silent salute before leaving. Mickey sighed and sat at his desk, picking up the brown envelope from the top of the pile. As he lazily read the papers, his eyes slowly focused on the contents shortly before Mickey sat rigidly forward, reading intently. The writer...Tesla...his name was familiar...

Of course! He was one of the members of Master Xehanort's Organization XIII, the scientist that attacked Radiant Garden.

The report was surprising, unlike anything Mickey had read before. It was the only report he'd read so far that gave some account to the Keyblade Order _before _the First Keyblade War. And none of it was speculation, each part had pictures, references, locations, maps. World names popped every so often; Haven, Axiom, Destiny Islands, the world that Port Royal was on...

And one word kept cropping up.

Orinexus.

The Orinexus, according to Tesla's research were the original, and rightful, bearers of the Keyblade.

Mickey stayed awake all night, reading the revelations that Tesla's reports gave. This had to be were Lux Vera were getting their information. He double checked the other reports on the pile then those he'd previously read.

He was right.

Tesla's reports aligned with Lux Vera's interest in the time before the First Keyblade War.


	13. 12) A Call to Arms

**23/8/15**

**A/N: **So, my parents and sister are in Portugal until the 3rd! Which means I'm home alone for two weeks O.O I might actually get a lot done these two weeks.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**12: **A Call to Arms

_**Destiny Islands**_

_**Shade**_

We left Radiant Garden the next morning and returned home. EVE stayed behind, on the lookout for any Lux Vera activity. The gods for the Internet, am I right? We landed at around half nine in the morning, each one of us getting hugged by our various families. While we caught up I noticed Xion stood by a fence.

"Mrs Riku..." I started.

"How many times, just call me Luna," she smiled.

"Luna, this is Xion. She helped us out of a spot of bother."

"Nice to meet you, Xion."

"Likewise," Xion said, bowing slightly.

After introducing her to everyone's parents said parents took it upon themselves to show Xion around the islands. While we felt awkward, and I for one know how enthusiastic Luna can be about the welcome tour, Xion seemed to take it in her stride.

That night I laid in bed with Riku, fighting the urge to sleep. Riku looked at my nodding head.

"You need to sleep eventually Mio," he said, voice filled with concern.

"I've gone weeks without sleep before, I can handle a few days without it," I smiled, propping my head with my elbow...which promptly collapsed onto my pillow.

Damn these fluffy pillows!

Riku gently put his arm around me and pulled me closer. "It's ok to sleep. Those night terrors, they're all in your head. Nothing can hurt you."

I couldn't look at him. Instead I buried my head in his chest, my body relaxing with his warmth and affection. I sighed. "I know."

"Then promise you won't stay up watching _Friday the Thirteenth _or _Halloween_."

"Can I watch _Blair Witch Project?_" I asked, grinning.

"Mio..." he said.

"Oh, come on, it's barely a film anyway!"

"Mio," he said again, a little sterner. "I mean, you don't need to be afraid of sleep."

I looked away. He was right. Sighing, I gave in and snuggled him.

"One last thing, Riku?" I asked. "What do you think of Xion?"

"She seems nice," he shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you look at her as though she's familiar..."

Riku blinked. Apparently he hadn't noticed. "G'night, Mio," he said, kissing me gently.

"Night," I yawned, nuzzling his chest before drifting off to sleep.

-*IV*-

A week later, Sora was heading down to the beach to spar with Riku. Lux Vera hadn't been active since Haven, but the Keybearers couldn't afford to let up on training. Despite the amount of times they sparred as children it felt like it had been a lifetime since his last friendly spar. He fondly remembered the first time he beat Riku. He'd tricked Riku into charging into the bent tree, then managed to disarm him while he was dazed. Tidus, Selphie and Wakka then challenged Sora three on one. He beat them too. That was the day before the raft was finished.

The day before he got wrapped up in monsters, dark lords and cults.

Grabbing one of the smaller motorboats and sailing to the small islet just off shore of the main islands Sora breathed in the salty ocean air. No matter what World he travelled to he would also prefer the fresh sea breeze and salty air of his home.

He docked neatly and tied a rope around the hook on the bow then set off down the sandy beach. It was nearly midday causing the sun to at its hottest. Thankfully it was nearly September meaning the days would be mercifully cooler. Still, sparring in the heat was a great way to train for the hotter worlds out there.

As Sora strolled along the seashore he looked at the tree in the centre of the island. Memories of the battle with Xehanort's Heartless filled his head. Sora shook them out and headed to the small islet.

To his surprise, Xion was sat on the tree.

"...Hello," Sora said cheerfully.

"Mmm?" Xion grunted, turning her head. "Oh, hello Sora." She jumped down and walked up to him. "Did you have the same idea as me?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"Spar?"

"If you want," Xion smirked, summoning her _Kingdom Key._

"W-wait, that wasn't a request!" Sora said as Xion lunged, forcing him to block.

"Ah, ah, you said spar, dem's the rules."

Sora pushed her back and launched a Firaga at her. Xion dodged and dashed towards Sora, light bursting from her Keyblade. Sora ducked as Xion's Sonic Blade sailed over him. But Xion wasn't letting him off lightly. As she went over him, she kicked down on his chest. _Hard_.

Sora collapsed, winded. He rolled onto his side, wheezing. "What was that for?"

Xion turned, scowling. "You think Lux Vera or any other foe will be as simple as Xehanort, Ansem, Organization XIII or Maleficent?"

"What do you mean?" Sora said, stunned at Xion's outburst. "Where's this anger from?"

Xion, shocked, turned away. "I'm...sorry. I just want you to know of your place in the Realm of Light."

Sora walked up to her,concerned. She sighed. "You're well known in the Realm of Light. And there are a _lot _of people out there that see as a threat. Xehanort and the others? They underestimated you, you were just a rag-tag bunch of people thrown together out of necessity. But the Battle of Requiem proved you were a viable threat. And the majority won't fight with honour, they'll fight dirty. So you need to be prepared."

Sora nodded in understanding. "Then we do it again."

Xion let out a faint smile. "If you win we go to Twilight Town for seasalt ice cream."

As she laughed, Sora stumbled a bit. For some reason he couldn't help but think that was...familiar.

Suddenly his phone rang. Sora looked at it. Unknown number.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Sora, it's EVE. Get some of the others. Zero's in Disney Town and it's not good."

-*IV*-

_**Disney Town**_

Zero stood on the large concert stage in the middle of the town. In the distance was Disney Castle. He smirked, hoping that idiot mouse would see him. He composed himself, breathing deeply.

**(Awaken- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency OST)**

"People of Disney Town," Zero said, his voice booming. Everyone in the plaza stopped and turned. Zero smiled. "I come today to offer you salvation! Freedom from your mundane existence. For too long you have been wandering in the dark, led by kings and queens who would sooner leave you in the dirt to pursue their own ends. But not Kingdom Hearts! Not the One Light!"

Murmurs erupted from the crowd. Zero smiled and continued.

"The One Light accepts all who worships it. No one will be turned away at the coming apocalypse. Your sins will be forgiven. Your misdeeds will be forgotten. We will live, as brothers and sisters of the Light, in peace and harmony in the new world!"

More murmurs, this time more supportive.

"What do we need to do?" a member of the crowd asked.

"Simple," Zero smirked. "The people in the other worlds, living surrounded by sin and selfishness...convert them. With words, with bullets. Anyway you can. Those souls need to be saved. By any. Means. Necessary."

"That's enough of that, Zero," came a voice.

"Ah, King Mickey," Zero said as the mouse emerged from the ground. "Come to join us?" he chuckled.

"I don't appreciate people trying to cause trouble in my kingdom," the King said seriously.

"Oh? And what are you going to do? Banish me like Pete?" Zero mocked as he drew Cleaver and rested it on the ground, leaning on it. "Or...do you want to duel right here?"

Mickey frowned. He couldn't afford a fight with Zero right now. Technically Zero wasn't doing anything wrong by preaching. Technically. But something had changed. This speech was far more violent than his previous. What had changed?

"Zero. Leave this town. Now." Mickey said sternly.

"Ha! How are you going to make me?" Zero laughed. "I mean, you're not exactly a good king. You wanted the Keyblade to protect your subjects. Yet, 13 years ago, you let one person lose his heart, one woman go missing in the Realm of Darkness and another man be possessed by Xehanort. Then, instead of suffocating him in his crib, you let him be manipulated Braig and unleash the Heartless on this world. You let Xehanort's Heartless and Maleficent run amok for 10 years and only acted when it was too late. You claim to be a King and yet the Realm of Light was saved by a random bunch of _children_ and sheer luck!"

Zero's laugh was abruptly stopped as Mickey attacked him with a Strike Raid. Mickey glared as the _Kingdom Key D _flew back into his hand. Zero was stunned, touching the large cut on his cheek. "That hurt," he growled. He turned to face the King. "Is that how you want it to be, eh?" Zero asked darkly.

"Stop right there, Zero!" came a younger voice. Zero looked up slightly.

It was Sora who had spoken, backed up by Riku and Shade. They had their Keyblades drawn. Damn it! While Zero was confident he could take them all on, it was risky to fight them together. It wasn't Zero's style. Zero feigned a pleasant smile.

"Hello, my friends!"

"We are _not _your friends," Shade growled.

Zero sighed. "And here I thought we could talk it out."

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked.

"I am merely furthering my cause," Zero said innocently. "There is nothing to stop me preaching, even if people don't like it. Mickey was the first one to strike."

"Somehow I don't quite believe you," Riku said sarcastically.

"Huh..." Zero said with a shrug. "Well, I suppose I _could _be covering for something. Like Lambda's search for Tesla's reports in the library."

"What?!" Mickey gasped, looking at the castle. "Minnie!"

"Oh...oh, I shouldn't have said that," Zero said apologetically, but not hiding the smug grin on his face.

"Your Majesty, stay here with Mio," Riku said. "Sora and I will go, you keep an eye on him."

"But...!"

"That's an order, Your Majesty!" Sora shouted, charging off with Riku.

-*IV*-

"And that's number four," Lambda said quietly as she finished tying Minnie to one of the pillars.

"You won't get away with this!" Minnie shouted, struggling at her bonds.

"Oh, Your Highness," Lambda said soothingly. "Please shut up."

Lambda turned and looked at the small drone flying above her.

"Have you quite finished?" Vincent asked through the drone.

"Yup. And before you ask, no, I didn't have to let her sound the alarm and, yes, I did have more fun because of it."

She glanced at the unconscious Goofy, Donald, Daisy and the guards. Vincent sighed. "Then let's get on with it. ADAM?"

"Yes, Master Vincent?" the drone said.

"Get us a map of the castles and any security measures they have. Lord Zero probably won't keep Mickey at bay for long."


	14. 13) The Report

**27/8/15**

**A/N: **_DOUBLE UPLOAD?!_

If you want a rough idea of ADAM's voice, watch some clips of Delta from Red vs Blue.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**13: **The Report

_**Disney Town, Disney Castle**_

Lambda casually walked through the corridors of the castle. The pure white building seemed ridiculously large, considering many of its inhabitants were shorter than herself. Casually eating a bag of grapes she had stolen from the castle's kitchen she turned to the small red drone.

"Are you sure this is the right way, Vincent?" Lambda asked.

"Lambda, there's about five libraries in that building," Vincent replied patiently. "I'm directing you through them all so you start and end with one relatively close to an entrance."

"Well, this is number four, are you certain you can't narrow it done to a specific room at the very least?"

"ADAM is doing his best to hack the security feed in that building. It's very hard to control the drone, keep watch on each part of the building, guide you _and _look out for intruders. Add to that, many of Tesla's reports and books were discredited so very little pictures of the covers and spines exist."

Lambda groaned. "Fine, fine, fine. I get it."

"If I may interjection," ADAM said through the drone.

"What is it ADAM?" Lambda asked.

"It appears Sora and Riku have entered the vicinity. I suggest we hurry our endeavours."

"Oh, hell," Vincent sighed.

"Uugh, I do _not _have time for this!" Lambda shouted, breaking out into a run.

-*IV*-

"Well this sure brings back memories," Sora shouted as he cut down a leaping Soldier. "You don't think Lux Vera are controlling the Heartless do you?"

"No," Riku replied as he took out a group of Shadows. "Not intentionally anyway, you know how the Heartless are attracted to dark hearts. Sora, move!"

Sora turned to see a Large Body sliding to him. He dodged, allowing Riku to use Kickback to destroy it. Sora gave Riku a thumbs up and launched a Faith at a large group of Bolt Towers, killing them.

"Ahhh!" Riku yelled, resisting the urge to swear as a Minute Bomb exploded near him. "I hate those ones!"

Sora helped him up. "Here," he said, handing Riku a potion.

"Thanks," Riku said as he guzzled down the green liquid inside.

"Help!" a voice called from one of the nearby rooms. "Somebody, help!"

Sora and Riku looked at each other, then dashed to the source of the voice. In one of the smaller rooms they found Donald, Goofy, Daisy and much of the Royal Guard, all lying on the ground. Tied to a pillar was Queen Minnie.

"Your Royal Highness!" Sora cried, as he set about freeing her.

"Sora!" Minnie cried joyously. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you. This rude woman came in and demand a book Mickey was reading. Then she attacked the guards when I wouldn't give her what she wanted, it was just awful!" She hurried to Riku's side. "Are they alright?"

Riku checked the pulse of the last guard. "Yeah, just unconscious. Seems Lambda went easy on them. Queen Minnie, do you know where she went?"

"I can only assume she's looking in the libraries," Minnie replied.

"Right," Sora nodded. "Stay here where it's safe, Your Highness."

-*IV*-

_**Disney Town**_

_**Shade**_

Zero hopped down from the stage and walked towards us, dragging his sword along the ground. It made a horrible sound as it cut through the concrete. He stopped in front of us. Strangely enough, at what looked like 5'9'', he was only a few inches taller than me. He peered down at Mickey.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Zero asked. "Afraid to prove your strength in front of all your subjects."

"Leave him alone!" I snapped.

Zero didn't look at me. "Nothing to say Your Majesty?"

Mickey glared at him. "You want peace, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Then why do you insist on spreading violence?"

"...I'm sorry?"

**(The Master Vainglorious- Doctor Who OST)**

"You say you won't peace and order for the Realm of Light," Mickey explained. "Yet, at the core of your speeches, no matter how peaceful they are, they are filled with one thing; division. You claim everyone is equal, yet you attempt to divide them so they turn on each other. Don't you understand that it only breeds darkness?"

"A new world cannot come with the destruction of the old," Zero shrugged. "If people are sentimental enough to cling to this corrupted Realm then that is their problem, not mine."

"I thought you cared for all your people?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Quiet, mutt, the people are talking," Zero said nonchalantly.

"W-what...?" I asked, shocked.

"I said," Zero replied, walking to me. "Be quiet, mutt, before I put you in the kennel where you belong. You think you're the same as a human? No, no, you're a disease, a mongrel. Something that should have been put down the moment Xehanort got you. You did your brother a favour by killing him."

I felt it again, that same rage I felt in the temple on Haven. "**What did you say?!**" I heard myself scream.

I moved on instinct, Keyblade charged with darkness. Zero just stood there, smirking. _**I'll wipe that smirk of his stupid face!**_

But Mickey intervened. "Mio, don't let him get to you!" he ordered.

"**Let me go!**" I yelled. But Mickey cast Pearl, the Light burned my skin. I collapsed to my knees, wrist burned, breathing ragged, but thinking clearly. "T-Thank you..."

"Why they let an animal like you hang around with them I don't know," I heard Zero say.

I didn't pay to attention. It wasn't Zero I was scared of , surprisingly. His words hurt, like someone had shoved a knife in my chest and twisted it. I became all too aware of the scar that laid there, the remind of Xehanort's experiments. But I wasn't afraid of Zero. I was scared of my outburst. I hadn't felt like that for nearly two years.

"Well, this has been entertaining, but I must leave," Zero said with a bow before throwing out an orb. The orb erupted into a corridor of light, much to Mickey's surprise.

"That's a Light Corridor!" Mickey gasped. "How did you make one? They haven't been seen..."

"Since the First Keyblade War?" Zero asked. "Perks of reverse engineering Orinexus tech."

He waved casually as he left, the orb exploding as the corridor closed. Mickey helped me up. "Mio, are you alright?"

"Yeah," I lied. "Let's...let's go find Sora and the others. I doubt Lambda would go easy on them."

**(End 'The Master Vainglorious')**

-*IV*-

"Boring," Lambda said as she looked at another book, throwing it on the pile. "Boring. Boring. Maths, maths, maths." She looked at the drone. "You know, I bet if Akio were here he'd be able to find the book from the cameras."

"Yes, well, Akio's managing the dig at Axiom," Vincent said. "So you're stuck with me."

"Don't get lippy with me," Lambda snapped.

"I'm not, just focus on the mission. Sora and Riku are heading your way and they're going faster than ADAM can hack the castle's security doors."

"Great..." Lambda sighed.

"I would like you to know that Sora and Riku are closing in on our position. ETA: forty-five seconds."

"Thanks for the update, ADAM," Lambda grumbled.

"Thirty-five seconds."

"Thank you. _ADAM_."

"Twenty seconds," the AI replied with a chuckle.

"Are you enjoying this?" Lambda snapped, drawing her swords.

"Ten seconds."

"Vincent, change of plan," Lambda said quickly as Sora and Riku burst through the door.

"Uuugh, why couldn't today be simple," Vincent groaned through the drone.

"Lambda!" Sora yelled. "Leave, now!"

"You think that's threatening?" Lambda scoffed. "Two boys, barely masters, fighting...me?"

"Lambda, if you could not taunt the enemy..." ADAM started.

"What's that thing?" Sora asked, pointing at the drone.

"I am the Automated Deception and Military unit, also known as ADAM," the drone replied.

"Pleasure," Riku said dryly.

The drone watched the pair. "...Likewise."

"I assume you two are here to stop me from getting the report?" Lambda asked, bringing the conversation back on track. The pair entered a defensive stance. Lambda huffed. "Well, you can think again. I get the report for Zero and he will be so proud of me..._nobody stops me from getting Lord Zero's affection. __**NOBODY!**_"

Lambda charged, but Riku through up a Dark Barrier. Lambda bounced off, but fired a bolt of electricity from one of her swords. The pair dodged, Sora firing Faith while Riku launched Dark Firaga.

"Be careful!" Vincent shouted through the drone. "Don't set anything on fire, that'll be bad for both of us."

"Lambda!" Zero's voice shouted through the drone. "Forget about it for now. We have bigger things to deal with."

Lambda looked at the drone, then at Sora and Riku. Begrudgingly she created a Light Corridor and left with ADAM.

-*IV*-

_**Disney Town**_

_**Shade**_

Mickey and I headed for the castle as soon as Zero left. It turns out that Lambda had departed shortly before we arrived, her search fruitless. As it turns out, Mickey had left the report in a hidden shelf behind a bookcase.

"Take this. Study it," he said. "Whatever is in this report is important to them and that means it's dangerous. We'll keep a look out for any other activity."

"Will do," Sora nodded. "D'you think Ienzo will be able to help?"

"Probably," Riku said, looking at me. "You ok, Mio?"

I looked away. I found couldn't face him. "I'll tell you later..."

-*IV*-

_**Destiny Islands, Sora's House**_

It had been a peaceful day for Kairi. Sora, Shade and Riku had to rush to Disney Town but Xion and Kairi volunteered to take care of Hikari. They played with the little girl, entertaining her as she insisted she played with her dolls. Hikari also insisted on making them truck drivers, much to Kairi's surprise, the girls nevertheless let her play.

Who were they to judge what she played with?

Now, at around four in the afternoon Hikari was asleep on the sofa, mumbling cutely in her sleep. Without a young girl under their feet the two girls could relax.

"Aaah, I never thought sitting down would be so nice," Xion sighed as she slid into a chair.

"She reminds of Sora," Kairi laughed, drinking a coke.

Xion chuckled. "You know, you remind me of a girl I meant a while ago."

"Oh?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah," Xion nodded. "You look a lot like her. She helped me...she helped me find myself." Xion smiled a little. "I do miss her."

Kairi looked at her can. For some reason she could hear something. But it was hard to make out...like static.

_Namine...ca...u...se...y fa...?_

_Yes_

_Th...what d...ou...in...ould d...?_

Kairi felt herself collapse. Her head was throbbing, it hurt some much. And the noise...what was that damn _noise?_

More words and static. Only one thing came through clearly, one thing that sent chills down her spine.

_You're Kairi, as Sora remembers her..._


	15. 14) SHIELD

**27/8/15**

**A/N: **Who could be introduced in this chapter? Who indeed...

Also, a certain someone was mentioned here. Yes, I will be doing _that _film down the line.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**14: **Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Divison

_**Gummi Ship**_

_**Shade**_

"That bastard!" Riku shouted, punching the wall.

"Riku, calm down," Sora said, putting a reassuring hand on Riku shoulder.

"Calm down..._calm down?! _No one _ever _talks to Mio like he did!"

"This is exactly why I waited til we were here," I said quietly. I hated seeing him angry. Not at me, _for _me. He gets protective. But I can't help but feel partially responsible for it. I stood up and hugged him. "It's alright, they're just words. It could have been worse. You know it could have been a _lot _worse. They way he looked at me..."

Like I wasn't even dirt on his boot.

The rest of the journey to Radiant Garden was relatively calm. I spent most of the time cheering up Riku while Sora piloted the ship. It was nice. For that moment I forgot what Zero had said. And what Lambda had said on Haven.

We landed in Radiant Garden the next day, the massive ship being built in the Foundry was coming along nicely. It still dominated the skyline a bit too much for my liking, but hey. Who am I to judge?

"Hey, if it isn't my favourite Keybearers!" Kara said as he ran to us, hugging Sora tightly. "How've you been?"

"G-Great!" Sora choked out. "Lungs crushing...breathing hurting..."

"Oh, heh heh, Sorry..." Kara laughed sheepishly.

"Has Midori behaved?" I asked.

"Geez, what are you, his mother?"

"...More or less."

"He and Yuki have been fine," Kara chuckled. "Kaede too."

"That's great!" Riku said.

"So what can I do for you fine gentleman and lady?"

"Any idea where Ienzo is?" Riku asked. "We need him to analyze something."

"Hmm...oh, he's at the castle library with the Restoration Committee, Kairi, Xion, Aqua, Terra, Lea and Ven...Oh! Damn it I forgot to call you for the big meeting! God, I'm stupid..."

We looked at each other suspiciously. "What meeting?"

-*IV*-

_**Hollow Bastion, Library**_

We found the Restoration Committee and the other Keybearers, Yuki, Kaede and Midori, plus Ansem the Wise's remaining apprentices, surrounding a large table. At the head of it were four people, all members of the U.W.A's Security Council; Councilmen Yen, Councilman Singh, Councilman Rockwell, Councilwoman Hawley and Councilman Pierce.

Yen was a middle-aged Asian man. Clean cut black hair, piercing brown eyes and a stern pokerface, he radiated authority.

Councilman Singh was also middle-aged but, due to not having the immortality the Japanese evidently had, his dark skinned face wrinkled and his beard greying. He seemed to be the yapping puppy of the five of them, and also came across as _very _cowardly.

Councilman Rockwell was a tall, Caucasian man with a bald head. He was the leader of the Security Council and commanded even more authority than Yen. His face was always firm and strong, like a leader.

Councilwoman Hawley was a British woman with red hair in a bowlcut. She was clearly the eldest of the group, and also the most vocal. She and Rockwell nearly always came to blows. She was never seen without a blue suit.

Councilman Pierce was actually the newest member of the group. He was a kind man with red hair that was lighter than Hawley's and bright blue eyes. He was normally the one to step in when the council members began to bicker. But I could never read the man fully. And _that _is something I don't like.

"I don't care what you are, Even, don't talk to me in that tone!" Singh was shouting as we walked in.

"Then do not judge me on my misgivings due to Xehanort's manipulation!" Even huffed.

"How long have they been like this?" Riku asked Leon.

"A while," he sighed. "Everything was fine until Dilan, Even, Aeleus and Ienzo joined us."

"They don't seem to know the difference between Nobodies and regular people," Aerith said.

"Are you ok, Kairi?" Sora asked. "You're a little pale."

"I just fell yesterday," she said, smiling back. "Nothing major."

Nevertheless, Sora hugged her.

"Singh, if you could just please calm down," Pierce said calmly. "I'm sure they've done many bad things, but you've got to remember the reports. Organization XIII isn't the same as H.Y.D.R.A, the only members that were a threat were Xemnas, Braig, Saix, Marluxia and Larxene. All the rest were manipulated."

Singh huffed and gave up.

"Thank you, Alexander," Rockwell said. "Now, if we could get down to business..."

"Yes, I would like to know why Project: Harbinger is being built in _our town_?" Leon growled.

"We will get to that, don't worry," Rockwell said, brushing off the question. "First on the cards are the major threats to this universe. At top of them, Hydra-"

"With all due respect, Councilman," Aqua said. "I think we should focus on stopping Lux Vera before they become a much bigger threat."

Hawley looked at her. Patronisingly. God, I hate Suits...

"Ms Aqua," she said. "I know you've had these...visions. But I don't see how a cult with no army of any sort can be a major threat to us."

"But, ma'am, they've got weapons!" Sora cried. "And technology that no one else has!"

"And Hydra is a fully fledged terrorist organization with footholds on a dozen worlds, and members numbering in the billions!" Hawley shouted.

"You're making a mistake..." Aqua said, defeated.

"We'll be the judge of that, girl," Yen said sharply.

I clenched my fist, fighting the urge to argue. The last thing the U.W.A needed was a fight breaking out at one of their first meetings.

"Now, how is Project: Harbinger coming along?" Pierce asked Kara.

"F-Fine, Sir!" Kara said, standing to attention. "The Radiant Garden branch has completed three ships and work is nearly done on the Halcyon light cruiser. The Earth and Reach branches are on schedule too, Sir!"

"Thank you," Pierce smiled.

"I still don't like that our town is being used to construct _warships_, Councilman," Leon stressed again.

"I second that," said the normally quiet Aeleus. "This world as seen more than its fair share of misery, that ship will only make us a target!"

Kara sent the Restoration Committee an apologetic look. As far as knew, neither the committee nor the apprentices hated Kara. They all knew he was doing a job. But I have to say, I agree with them. I wouldn't like them to have built them on Destiny Islands, or Subeta.

"We all have to make compromises," a stern, non-nonsense voice said from behind us.

We all turned to see a man dressed in black, a trenchcoat billowing from behind him. He was bald, with a fuzzy black beard around his mouth. His right eye was in a constant scowl and his left eye was covered by an eyepatch and had scars coming from underneath.

Silence.

"Well who the hell are you?" Zack asked.

"Nick Fury, Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Also known as S.H.I.E.L.D."

Oh.

Oh, _that's _Nick Fury? Damn...I didn't know whether to be scared, in awe or turned on. Maybe all three at the same time? I dunno.

Fury strode up to us. "While Hydra and all its affiliates must be destroyed... I believe it'd be stupid to leave Lux Vera unchecked."

"You think it's a good idea to listen to someone who was hallucinating in some ancient temple?!" Singh shouted.

"Singh. Shut up," Pierce said. "You believe Lux Vera to be a threat?"

"You've known me a long time Alex. S.H.I.E.L.D has been keeping an eye on Lux Vera," Fury said. "While I'm almost certain that they are not a direct threat to peace as they are now...I believe Zero is resourceful enough to make connections to and influence important people. And if one of those connections were to be Hydra, or a similar organizations..."

The Council looked at each other. I sighed quietly. This was going to be a long meeting.

The meeting took about three hours, most of it was just us Keybearers sat or stood bored, the Council and Nick Fury arguing or the Council and the Restoration Committee arguing or the Restoration Committee and the apprentices, mainly Even, arguing, or the Council arguing with themselves.

Lots of names were mentioned, Hydra, Lux Vera, the Avengers. The Council also insisted they have EVE with them for study, which all of us agreed was a bad idea. Super smart AI in the hands of a group of Suits? Not a good idea. They weren't taking her. Weirdly enough Fury and the Council didn't get along. It seemed that he was more interested in bring us into the conversation and asking our opinions. I guess it was nice to be included.

After the meeting I pulled Fury aside. "Um...Mr Fury! Mr Fury!" I shouted running up to the man.

He turned and, being face to face, I understand why this man was the leading of such a powerful group. The Council may have commanded authority, but this man command respect. I instinctively bowed.

"...Shade, was it?" Fury said. "You can stand up."

"Uh..." I stood, hesitantly. "Why did...why did you include us? It seemed like the Council didn't really wanted us here."

Fury looked at the empty Council chairs, then the other, then me. "Shade, don't mistake my actions for trust. You want my trust, you earn it. But...I commend what you and allies did in defeating Master Xehanort. Even if the Council see you as children, I see you as respectable adults and soldiers."

"W-We're not soldiers," I laughed.

Fury raised his eyebrow. "You carry weapons to fight for the greater good, don't you?"

I opened my mouth to say something. But I couldn't.

"I'll see you later," Fury said, heading out of the room.

Riku walked up to me. "What do you think?"

"He seems nice," I smiled.

We joined the others as they had Ienzo look over the report we'd got from the King.

"Do you think you can do it?" Sora asked.

Ienzo scanned the report. "It'll take a few days, but yes," he said, nodding. "Yes, I'm sure."

-*IV*-

After that hellish meeting, we headed by back to the Restoration Committee's base where, much to our surprise, Yen Sid was waiting for us. Well, on the screen of Cid's computer.

"Keybearers," he greeted.

"Master," we all bowed.

"I have reason to believe that Lux Vera are causing trouble on Earth-4. Zero has been travelling there multiple times in the past few weeks. I am uncertain of his intentions, but they cannot be good."

"Earth-4?" Sora asked.

"You know it as Port Royal, the home of Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Oh, sweet! I get to see Jack again!"

"Hang on there, Sora," Terra said. "You've had run ins with Lux Vera on Haven and Disney Town. If you followed them there they might get suspicious. Me, Aqua and Ven'll go."

"Can I come?" I asked. "Sora keeps banging on about pirates and I wanna meet em!"

"Yeah!" Ven cried, hugging me. "Can she?"

Terra looked at Aqua, who shrugged and laughed. "I don't think Ven's giving us a choice," she laughed.

"Yaaay," Ven and I cheered.

"Also," Yen Sid continued. "I have detected a large surge in Darkness in the Pride Lands. Something that hasn't been seen since Scar's rule."

"Riku, Kairi, Lea and I will go," Sora said. "I want to see how Simba's been doing anyway."

"May I come?" Xion asked.

"Of course," Kairi said quickly.

"Very good," Yen Sid said. "I have faith you will not fail."

The screen went blank and EVE appeared. "Sora, I can't join you in the Pride Lands, but I will make sure your Gummi Ship's log is kept up to date. Aqua, I can communicate with you using earpieces, but you will have to be discreet. I don't think Earth-4's technology is that advanced yet."

Sora and Aqua nodded and set off to prepare everything. In an hour Terra, Aqua and Ven all had their Keyblade Gliders ready. I threw my Keyblade up, turning into a black and orange motorbike-styled glider.

"So you're off then?" Riku asked, hugging me.

"Yeah," I smiled. "Don't know when I'll be back though."

I boarded my glider, not bothering to summon my armour; my Heartless side protected my heart from the Darkness. It jerked upwards as it lifted off the ground.

"You be careful!" Riku shouted.

"And you stay out of trouble!" I shouted back, fighting back tears.

"Don't I always?" he laughed. "I love you!"

"Love you too," I said softly.

And with that, the four of us flew off.

* * *

**A/N: **So, the story has official kicked off! Yay! I know it shouldn't take 15 chapters, but I needed to reintroduce Zack and Xion, give you guys a feel for Zero, Lambda and Vincent (I would _love _feedback on those three, they are my first full fledged villainous group), get S.H.I.E.L.D introduced and get everything set up.

The rest of this arc will chronicle Sora's team's adventure in the Pride Lands which means..._Lion King II _adaption! :D It was my very first Disney film, yes it's not as good as the first, but it has always held a place in my heart.

The next arc is...big. Really big, about 20 chapters. Yes it's set in the Caribbean, no it is not a _Dead Man's Chest/At World's End _adaption. So what it could it be? O.O Interspersed in that arc will be a few chapters with Sora's team because of the time scale that arc is set. So...see you next chapter!


	16. 15) Old World, New Friends

**28/8/15**

**A/N: **I should mention, to any of my readers that post stories themselves. Fanfiction...has a bug! Basically this bug or glitch in the system affects viewer and visitor counts, specifically keep it at zero, as I found out in my triple upload on Sunday. You'll still get reviews registered, but until the admins/mods fix it...no hits are gonna be registered.

What I'm saying is, don't worry, people are still gonna read your fics, it's just not registering. So, if you would, please leave reviews on any of the fics you follow that have been updated in the past week just to let the authors know they're still getting hits.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**15: **Old World, New Friends

_**Gummi Ship**_

"So, how do you know these lions?" Xion asked.

"Simba helped me defeat Xehanort's Heartless," Sora replied. "Then I helped him defeat his uncle when he was destroying the Pride Lands."

"What? Like _Hamlet_?" Riku asked.

"Eh?"

"_Hamlet_. Where did you meet Simba the second time?"

"Um...an oasis with Timon and Pumbaa. He was scared of going back after he was blamed for his dad's death."

"See, _exactly _like _Hamlet_!" Lea laughed.

Sora frowned as Kairi giggled. Xion looked confused. "Do you have a way for us to not get eaten?"

"Oh, yeah," Sora nodded. "Donald taught me this spell that lets you blend in with a world's inhabitants."

After a long day of travelling Sora put the Gummi Ship in orbit around the Pride Lands. The group all stood on the teleport unit and he'd down, ending up in a couple of shrubs at the bottom of a rocky canyon at dawn. Sora quickly cast the spell and turned into a small lion cub, along with the others.

"Well this is weird..." Lea send, looking at the paws of his powerful lion form.

"You get used to it," Sora laughed, trotting off.

"What the hell happened to my hair?!" Xion cried, looking at her reflection in a puddle.

"You're a girl lion, you don't get a mane," Riku chuckled.

"Sora, I'm gonna kill you!" Xion shouted, running after him but stumbling over her feet. "Woah! Oof!"

Sora helped her up. "I think we need to spend some time getting you used to walking on all fours."

For much of the morning Sora, and later Lea, taught the others how to walk, run and jump. Thankfully, the group were fast learners. The most difficult part was teaching them how to wield Keyblades with their mouths. While impractical, it was all they had so Riku, Kairi and Xion begrudgingly accepted it.

By midday the group was already exploring the Savannah. Sora was impressed to see how much had changed. In his last visit the Pride Lands were a dry, water-less wasteland due to Scar's negligence and it was only until the Groundshaker had been defeated that things looked like they would be alright. Now the Pride Lands were covered in lush, thick grass. Each tree was covered in leaves and wild animals roamed the Savannah. The sound of rivers and birds filled the air. However, on the other side of the river the land was dry and cracked and covered in animal skeletons.

"I thought you said the Pride Lands got better after Scar was defeated?" Lea asked.

"They should have been..." Sora said, spying a fallen tree that crossed the river. "C'mon, let's explore."

"Ah, Sora, I don't think that's a good idea," Kairi said, worried.

"D'you think that ever stopped him before?" Riku asked, following him.

As soon as the group landed on the other side of the river a large group of Heartless appeared.

**(Savannah Pride- KH 2.5 OST)**

"Living Bones!" Sora shouted as the group summoned their Keyblades.

The group summoned their Keyblades and charged. Although Sora retained his ability to fight, for the others it was a steep learning curve. They hadn't fought Living Bones before and, needless to say, they were having a hard time. Unlike most of the Heartless, Living Bones acted as berserkers, thrashing around with their tails. Lea groaned as his was smacked away by one of them. He growled and charged, attacking with his flame covered Keyblade. The Heartless roared in pain and tried to bite him, but had its head taken off by Xion.

Xion kept running, firing beams of light at the Heartless, weakening them but not destroying them. These ones seemed to be more durable than other Heartless. She dodged as one tried to launch blue fire at her and then struck back with her Keyblade, leaping onto its back, making it go berserk. It charged around, knocking into the other Heartless before Xion pulled back, causing it to flip and smack it head on the ground. It disappeared into darkness.

Meanwhile Kairi was busy ducking under the spinning tails of two other Living Bones. She dodged one, but was knocked down by the other. Slowly she got to her feet before launching Waterga, spraying the Heartless with powerful jets of water. They shrieked and charged. Kairi smirked and leaped over them before slamming down on them both with a powerful ice attack, freezing them in place. Riku came barreling through, shattering them, as he used Dark Break on more Living Bones.

But the Heartless didn't relent. For everyone they defeated, two more appeared. Riku looked at Sora. "This is bad!"

Sora nodded, using Break on the Heartless. Though he killed a good chunk he only really succeeded in tiring himself out. Lea covered him, leaping into the air and slamming down, turning the floor into magma.

"Nice one!" Xion cheered.

Lea winked and threw his Keyblade in Strike Raid fashion. The Heartless didn't take too kindly to this and charged him, forcing him back. Kairi and Xion protected them, throwing up Reflect spells. Riku followed with a Zantetsuken, killing a small group.

Still they came.

"Oh, hell," Xion sighed. "We might need to retreat."

"I second that," Lea said.

Then, without warning, a huge golden lion shot through the air, tackling the Heartless and tearing them to shreds. Half fled and the ones that remained were quickly defeated. The lion turned, looking at the group.

"Simba!" Sora shouted, running up to him.

"Hey, Sora!" the lion said with a smile, running up and nudging Sora with his head. "Who are you friends?"

"This is Riku, Kairi, Lea and Xion."

"A pleasure to meet..." he started, before his eyes fell upon Xion. He gazed at her dark fur.

"What?" she asked, looking around. "Is there something on my face?"

"You're not an Outlander, are you?"

"A what now?"

Simba looked her over before he finally relaxed. "Sorry, you looked like an Outlander," he explained. "This is Outlander territory, it's dangerous here. We'd best get back to Pride Rock."

Simba escorted the group through the Pride Lands, explaining what had happened in the years since Sora's last visit. It turned out that Simba's rule wasn't accepted by everyone. A small group of lionesses, who had supported Scar, had turned on him early into his rule forcing Simba to banish them to the outlands beyond the Pride Lands, thus they became 'Outlanders'. While Simba's rule had been peaceful the Heartless had been acting up on the edge of the Pride Lands in recent months.

"...I know you have a way to fight them," Simba finished. "But you left suddenly and I didn't know how to find you."

"Well, we come when we're need," Sora chuckled.

Simba laughed. "Well I'm just glad you arrived when you did. The Heartless normally don't move beyond the border with the outlands, but I doubt they'll stay there for much longer. Now come on, I want to introduce you to my daughter."

Simba broke out at a run, followed by Sora and Xion, then Kairi, Riku and Lea. Sora couldn't deny it was nice to see the Pride Lands at peace.

The group arrived at the foot of Pride Rock to see the pride stand on the edges of the path leading up to it, Rafiki overseeing everything. At the very bottom were Nala, Timon and Pumbaa. She smiled, relieved to see her partner back safe.

"So this is what you've been up to," she smiled.

"I-I had to make sure everything was safe for Kiara," Simba said sheepishly.

"I didn't mean that," Nala chuckled, nudging his cheek. "Hello, Sora."

"Hey, Nala," Sora grinned. "Hey Timon, hey Pumbaa."

"Sora!" Timon smiled. "How've you been?"

"We've been great, thought we'd come in and check on you guys."

"Things have been great too!" Timon grinned.

"We've been babysitters," Pumbaa said proudly.

"Yeah. You ever tried looking after a baby that's bigger than you? Horrible."

"Ahem?" Simba coughed, eyeing Timon.

"Heh heh, sorry," Timon said sheepishly.

"Shh, here she comes," one of the lionesses said excitedly.

Sora and the others watched as a young yellow-gold lioness came down the path. She looked very nervous. Simba watched her, even more nervous. Nala stood by him in reassurance. The lionesses murmured and whispered excitedly about her first hunt as the young one came down, meeting Nala at the bottom.

"You'll be just fine, Kiara," Nala said, nudging the other lionesses head.

The lioness, Kiara, smiled. "Mom, who are these?"

"Friends of your fathers," Nala replied. "They helped him defeat Scar."

Kiara's eyes widened when she saw Sora. "Hello! I've heard so much about you. I can't talk right now, but I'd be happy to hang out after my hunt."

Sora nodded in understanding.

"Daddy?" Kiara asked. Simba's head perked up at his name. "You have to promise to let me do this on my own. Promise"

Simba looked at Nala, then Kiara. "Alright, I promise," he said, finally relenting.

Kiara smiled happily as Timon and Pumbaa burst into tears. She touched Simba's head with her own and the pair smiled at each other. Sora smiled too, proud of how much Simba had grown since Scar's rule.

Simba gave a final nod, letting Kiara dash off. The young lioness gazed over the Pride Lands in awe before grinning deviously and running off. Simba watched her disappear into the long grass, Sora and the others standing beside him.

"I knew you'd be a great king," Sora said.

Simba looked at him, uncertain, then glanced at Nala. She was busy talking with the other lionesses. Keeping an eye on them Simba leaned in close.

"Make sure she doesn't get hurt," he whispered.

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Outlands**_

**(Strange Whispers- KH 1.5 OST)**

The lioness skulked around her den. Zira had been waiting for this moment for years, even more so since that brat was born. Finally Scar will be avenged. And she had forged the perfect tool to do it with. Sat on a rock, her son Kovu stood proud, his black mane glistening in the sunlight that filtered through the cracks in the ceiling. Although he wasn't Scar's biological son Kovu looked so much like him.

Zira chuckled. "You. Are. _Ready!_" she said, triumphant as she circled him. "Nice...very nice. You have the same darkness in your soul that Scar had."

Zira looked around, seeing the small monsters, Heartless as Scar had called them, scuttle into the shadows, away from the sunlight. She turned her son, a grin plastered on her face. "What is your destiny?"

"I will avenge Scar," Kovu replied. "Take his place and rule over the Pride Lands."

"What have I taught you?"

"Simba is the enemy."

Zira stopped in front of him. "And what must you do?"

"I must..._kill him!_"

Zira smiled as her pride roared. Finally they will be victorious! Finally Scar will be avenged! No longer will the Outlanders be cast away into the dirt. With any luck Nuka and Vitani will be in place. And Simba won't know what hit him.


	17. 16) The Hunt

**29/8/15**

**A/N: **The site is FINALLY BACK UP! YES! UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH! UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH! FUDGE YEAH!

I'm calm

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**16: **The Hunt

_**Pride Lands, Savannah**_

Lea yawned and groaned. No sooner had Kiara left, Simba managed to convince them to follow her. Talk about an overprotective father. It almost reminded him of his own parents whenever he and Isa got into to trouble.

The group maintained the high ground, keeping their distance from where they last saw Kiara. It wasn't easy trying to keep with her. Despite their lion forms and the lack of any Heartless impeding their progress Kiara was very had to find in the long grass. The most they would get would be fleeting glimpses when the grass and shrubs broke, prompting them to run at break neck pace. Then, because they didn't want to be caught they had to let her run off and they had to repeat it again.

Eventually the group set up shop on some rocks. Kiara was a short way off in the distance stalking some antelope so the group decided to sunbathe for a bit.

"So, Xion," Lea said. Xion turned her head. "Are you ever gonna tell us about your past?"

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

"Well, no offence, we don't know a lot about you."

"Lea, don't be mean," Sora said.

"It's true, though!" Lea protested.

"If she doesn't want-"

"It's fine, Sora," Xion smiled. "I'll tell." She sighed. "I was orphaned at a young age. I was taken in by Keyblade Master and trained how to use the Keyblade. When I was about fourteen Xehanort's Heartless attacked our home. My Master defended the place while I ran. I didn't know what else to do, so I trained and I trained in order to become strong enough to defeat Xehanort. Then I heard you guys beat him and I wanted to meet you. And here we are."

"That's...quite a story," Riku said sadly, looking at Kairi. She was just...staring at Xion. "You ok, Kairi?"

"Yeah, why?" she replied.

Riku shook it off and turned to look at Kiara. "Stampede!"

The group hid behind the rock as the antelope thundered past. When Sora peeked above the rock he found a tired Kiara staring back at him. "Er...hi," he said sheepishly.

"What...are you doing...here?" she panted, catching her breath.

"Aaah, we're new to the area so Sora was showing us round," Lea said. "Y'know, I here the waterhole is a great place to meet new people, you wanna go some time?"

"My father sent you, didn't he?" she said, angry. "After he promised to let me do this on my own, he lied!"

"Kiara...he...he just doesn't want you to get hurt," Sora explained. "Not after what Scar did to him."

Kiara didn't hear. "I'm doing this on my own," she shouted, running in a fit of rage. "_Away _from the Pride Lands!"

The group followed but as soon as she'd hit the grass she disappeared.

"I hate being a lion!" Lea shouted in frustration.

"She can't have gone far," Sora said. "Riku, Kairi, you head in one direction, Lea, Xion and I will head in the other."

The group nodded and took off, Sora's group heading deeper into the bush while Riku and Kairi headed for the river. The trio decided to stay far apart so in case someone found her they could lead her to the other two.

"Hey, I could get used to this," Xion giggled.

"Shh! You'll give us away!" Lea hissed.

"Right, haha. Sorry."

"Wait, what's that?" Sora said as he spotted two lions on a hill. The seemed to be holding sticks of fire.

Lea frowned. "Something we need to check out. Let's go."

The three skulked towards the pair of lions. As they got closer they could see that one was male and the female. Both had slightly darker fur than Simba's pride and both looked very scruffy and thin. The male was caked in dirt, the other...slightly less so. The female seemed to have slightly sunken eyes and tuft of fur that gave her a fringe. She had a smug smirk on her face. The male, bigger than the other, had a thing mane and patch of fur on his chin that gave him a goatee of sorts. He didn't look too bright either.

"...I just don't know why we have to be here, Vitani," the male grumbled. "If _he's _so special, why does he need us?" he growled, angry. "I never even had a chance!"

"Shut up, Nuka," the female, Vitani, hissed.

The three looked at them, then each other. Sora shrugged and headed out of the grass. "Hey there,"

"Waaaah!" Nuka screamed, jumping in fright. He turned. "Hey, don't do that you little runt!"

"What are you doing?" Lea asked, stepping out.

"And who the heck are you supposed to be?" Nuka asked.

"Name's Lea. Got it memorized?

"What we wanna know," Xion said. "Is why you have that fire in your mouths."

Nuka opened his mouth to speak but Vitani hit him. "Look, kid. You don't look like Pride Landers so you just leave and forget you saw us."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "You're not...Outlanders are you?"

Nuka growled immediately. "Why would you care?"

"You're right, we aren't from around here," Lea said. "But we're friends of Simba's so we want to know why you're going to torch the place."

Nuka and Vitani looked at each other. Vitani smirked and tossed the stick in the air. The grass immediately caught fire as it landed, spreading quickly. Nuka did the same.

"Oops," Vitani said. "What are you gonna do now?"

Xion rolled her eyes. "We're really do this, aren't we?" she asked.

"Ohh yeah," Lea said, summoning his Keyblade.

Xion and Sora did the same. Nuka chuckled. "Those are some nice toys," he laughed, entering a battle stance. Darkness radiated from Nuka's body. Strangely enough, Sora noticed that there wasn't any sort of darkness coming from Vitani

"I'd run if I were you," Sora said.

"Oh, the little brat thinks he's tough!" Nuka laughed.

"Nuka, we need to move," Vitani hissed as the fire started to spread.

"Nah, I can take them!" Nuka laughed.

Nuka charged them, growling and trying to hit them. The group dodged and proceeded to attack him relentlessly, smacking him around the jaw and legs. Nuka backed off.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" he protested. "No fair, you have those stick-things!" He paused, not realizing he was surrounded by flames. "Is it just me or is getting hot in here?"

Nuka, upon realizing where he was, leaped out with a singed tail. He happily screamed about fire and 'roasty-toasty princess', prancing around. Vitani rolled her eyes and grabbed him, the pair running off much to Sora's dismay.

"No, wait!" he cried.

"We have bigger problems," Lea said, looking around at the flames. "I can cut us a path, but we need to find Kiara and the others, _fast_."

Sora and Xion nodded, running off with Lea behind them. The group was surprised at how quickly the fire had spread, it swept across the Savannah like a plague burning everything in its path. The sounds of animals screaming and roaring in terror as they tried to escape the blaze filled the air. The three Keybearers dashed through the stampedes, taking care not to get trampled. Sora mentally cursed the fact that they had no way of contacting Riku or Kairi, it would have been so helpful right now.

With any luck they were near Kiara.

-*IV*-

"Keep moving!" Riku shouted.

"Right!" Kairi nodded.

They didn't know how but someone had started a wildfire that was encompassing much of the Pride Lands. As if a sign from some mocking god several Shaman appeared in the flames, lashing out at the two Keybearers.

"Dammit, we don't have time for this!" Kairi shouted, killing several Shaman. "Riku, let's...Riku?"

She turned, find Riku struggling with the smoke. Kairi cursed mentally. She ran up to him and cast a small spell. "It'll help with the breathing," she coughed, casting the same spell on herself.

"Thanks," Riku coughed, ending for a nearby hill. "Oh, my Cosmos..."

Kairi came up behind him, gasping at the sight of the inferno. "There's no way the fire is normal if it spread that quickly."

Riku nodded. "It's faint but it's infused with Darkness. I have a feeling those Outlanders are responsible."

He scanned the Savannah, looking for any breaks in the flames. "The river!" he said. "We head there we can signal Sora and the others. Hopefully Kiara will have had a similar idea. Come on!"

-*IV*-

Kiara watched the herd of antelope from afar. She checked her posture and immediate surroundings. Was she low to the ground? Yes. Blended into the grass? Yes. No rocks, thankfully. She moved her paw...oops, got to be careful of the stick. Just a little closer...

Then, one by one, the herd's ears perked up. What?! The herd charged away, Kiara chasing after them. But it was too late. The herd were already over the hill. She angrily kicked the dirt. She was terrible at hunting. How was she going to prove to her father that she was capable of looking after herself when she couldn't catch one stupid antelope?

Wait...what was that on the horizon? Was that...fire?

The herd came stampeding back, this time with elephants, giraffes and zebra, all wanting to escape the blaze. Wildfires weren't uncommon in the Savannah, the heat caused them to start frequently in summer, but Kiara had never expected to be caught in one.

Eyes widening in fear she turned tail and ran for her life, the stampede thundering behind her. It wasn't long before Kiara became lost in the flames. Everywhere looked the same in the burning carnage and every turn she took led to another wall of flames. There was no escape. She was going to die here. All because of some stupid desire to prove a point.

No...she couldn't give up, she was the daughter of Simba, the exiled prince who returned to overthrow a dictator and his hyena army with just six people supporting him. She would not give up.

Kiara looked around for a break in the flames, this time planning a route. She had to be quick, the smoke was making it harder and harder to breath. Then she spotted it, a ledge, high enough to avoid the flames!

She ran towards it, hoping she'd make the jump. She wouldn't get another shot. Building up power in her hind legs she leaped of the flames, barely grabbing the top. She laughed, relieved and pulled herself up. Stumbling at the top of the ledge, Kiara collapsed, panting heavily. The last thing she saw was a dark figure standing over her.


	18. 17) Kovu

**02/09/15**

**A/N: **One thing I am going to do is give Nuka a bit more character development than in the film, specifically his inner thoughts. Yes, Nuka may have been a more comedic villain but after digging around I discovered that, in the film writers' minds, Nuka was Scar's biological son, hence his appearance being a more ragged version of Scar's. What it didn't explain was why Kovu was chosen to succeed him. But then you just need to look at Nuka.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**17: **Kovu

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

Simba paced the tip of the rock. Uncomforting thoughts constantly invaded his mind like cockroaches, showing him images of what ifs. What if she broke a leg? What if she attacked by a rival pride? What if she angered a rhino?

What if Zira...?

He shook the thought out of his mind and continued pacing.

"Kiara is going to be fine," Nala said reassuringly.

Simba stopped and looked at her, full of worry. "I know that...I just...worry."

"I know you do," Nala said, licking his cheek. "I know."

Her words, comforting as they were, didn't help. Simba continued to pace the tip of Pride Rock, stopping to survey the Pride Lands. Wait...was that..._smoke?_

"Oh, no..." he gasped, his worst fears being realized. "_Kiara!_"

Simba bounded down the rock, flanked and followed by his pride. He had to get there and fast!

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Savannah**_

Sora, Lea and Xion dashed through the blaze. Things had gone from bad to worst very quickly and the three Keybearers were now part of the panicked and frenzied stampede of animals caught up in the wildfire. Sora could only hope that Kairi and Riku were safe.

"Xion, Lea, hard right!" Sora shouted.

The three turned, narrowly avoiding a collapsing tree trunk.

"Can't you control these flames, Lea?" Xion asked.

"That would require the use of opposable thumbs," Lea explained. "Sadly, as awesome and dashingly handsome as I am, I don't think lions have them."

"Shit!" Xion cursed, looking up at the sky. It was darkened with black storm clouds. Thankfully the hot air had caused storm clouds to form over the area. If they could get to safety they could at least dodge the flames to the rain came down. If the smoke didn't get them first.

"Wait, what's that?" Sora shouted, pointing at a bright white light in the sky.

"Looks...sort of like a flare," Lea said. "Do you think Riku and Kairi used their Keyblades to make it?"

"Worth a shot," Xion shrugged. "Come on."

The trio sped off trying desperately to outrun the lashing flames. Heading for higher ground the group spotted the location the flares were coming from. Near the riverbank were Riku and Kairi, Riku desperately trying to keep the flames at bay with water spells while Kairi was putting all of her effort into a flare made of Faith.

"Down there, hurry!" Sora said rushing to the riverbank on their side. The gang jumped into the river and swam as best they could. They were spotted by Riku, who quickly rushed to them, helping them out.

"You ok?" he coughed.

"Yeah," Lea said, smiling weakly. "We're in a bit of a tricky spot now though."

The group looked around at the wall of fire blocking their escape, the water behind them and the clouds of smoke above them. Xion sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.

Elsewhere, Kovu stood above the unconscious princess. He looked around. Nothing could see him, nor could they get through the blaze. He tilted Kiara's head, touching her neck. There was a pulse. Good, she wasn't dead. Yet.

Now all he had to do was get out of there.

Kovu grabbed her by the top of her neck and managed to position her on his back. He took one deep breath and leaped off the cliff into the flames below. He powered through the smoke riddled plains, dodging falling trees and any stray flames that got in his way. While he had been trained for this he mentally cursed Vitani and Nuka for even _suggesting _fire. He couldn't help but think his older brother didn't like him.

A tree collapsed in front of him, forcing Kovu to rethink his route. He powered to the edge of another cliff and tumbled of the edge, hitting the water with a thud. The shock stunned Kovu, causing him to sink. He realized Kiara wasn't with him, quickly diving into the murky water. He grabbed and pulled upwards, dragging her through the river.

On the shore Sora and co spotted him, heading immediately to Kovu's location. As soon as Kovu felt the ground rise he stumbled a little, but was shocked to find that the younger lions were helping. Did they know Kiara? Zira hadn't mentioned them...

Kovu didn't argue however and gladly took the help.

Kairi checked Kiara. "She's still breathing," she said, relieved.

"Thank god..." Lea said. "The fires seem to be going to."

"All the better," Sora grinned.

Xion smiled before turning to Kovu. "And you are?"

"Kovu," the lion replied politely.

Xion eyed him when suddenly Kiara coughed. The Keybearers went beside her, helping her up. "W-where am I?"

"Safe and sound," Kovu said smugly. "In the Pride Lands."

"The Pride..." Kiara repeated, looking down. "No!" She stood, shaky. "Why am I back here? Who do you think you are?!"

"Er...I think I'm the one who just saved your _life!_" Kovu shouted, exasperated.

"Look, I had everything under control!"

"Not from where I'm standing."

Kiara glared at Kovu. "Then move downwind. And you..." she said, turning to Sora and the others. "Stop following me."

The Keybearers watched as Kiara tried to walk away, only for Kovu to keep blocking her path.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Lea said. "Girl's got a temper on her."

Kovu chuckled. "I know she does."

Kovu kept blocking her way, pushing her back towards the river. Finally Kiara had had enough. She pounced over Kovu and entered a battle stance, low to the ground. She growled.

"What are you doing?" Kovu asked, dumbfounded.

Kiara looked at Kovu closely, then smiled. "Kovu?"

Kovu smiled in return making Kiara grin.

"Wait how do you two know each other?" Sora asked, confused.

"We met when were kids," Kiara replied, giddy with excitement.

"I'd phrase it as you fell on me," Kovu snickered.

Kiara didn't mind. "It's so good to see you again! What are you doing...?"

"Kiara!" Simba roared as he came up to them, immediately growling at Kovu.

Nala came up behind him, nudging Kiara. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Kiara, however, was more concerned with the Keybearers. She glanced at them then Simba. "Daddy, how could you break your promise?"

"It's a good thing I did," he growled. "I almost lost you. No more hunts for you, not ever!"

"But I was doing _just fine!_" she protested. "Even before Kovu..."

"Kovu?!"

Simba roared at the Outlander, hoping to make him back down. Instead, Kovu growled back and the pair readied themselves to pounce.

"Hey, wait!" Sora shouted, getting between them.

"You've got this wrong, Simba," Riku said, joining them.

"Hey, you!" came a shout from a nearby rock. Everyone turned to see Rafiki the mandrill, and the Pride Lands' resident advisor/shaman, grinning from ear to ear. "How _dare_ you _save _the King's daughter!"

"You saved her?" Simba asked, turning to Kovu. "Why?"

"I have come to humbly ask to join your pride," Kovu replied.

"No!" Simba said forcefully. "You were banished, with the other Outlanders."

"Hey, to be fair," Xion said. "He must have had he reasons for saving Kiara. He can't be _that _bad."

"I'm still not so sure..." Lea said quietly.

"Not helping, Lea," Sora said. Lea shrugged in reply.

"I've left the Outlanders," Kovu finally said. "I'm a rogue. Judge me now for who I am. Or...am I to be blamed for a crime I didn't commit?"

Simba angrily paced the savannah. The Keybearers went over to their own corner to talk.

"What gives, Xion?" Lea whispered.

"Look, I don't trust him either," she replied. "But, if there _is _a problem...gaining his trust is the easiest way to go about it, wouldn't you agree?"

"I don't really like going behind Simba's back like this..." Sora replied hesitantly.

"No," Riku sighed. "But she has a point. If Kovu is with the pride we can keep an eye on him."

"Besides," Kairi said. "He _did _save Kiara."

The group nodded in agreement and headed back. Simba was still pacing but, in the end, he relented.

"Royal protocol says that all debts must be repaid," he sighed before looking at Kovu. "My father's law still stands. For now I'll reserve judgement." Simba turned and walked through the savannah. "We'll see who you really are..."

Kovu smiled happily then smirked at Kiara and Nala. Kiara joined him in the walk back while Nala headed to Simba's side to discuss what to do next. The Keybearers hung back a little, eying Kovu slightly.

"Are you guys going to stay back there all evening?" Kiara asked. "If you're worried about me being mad...well, I am mad, but you were only helping a friend. Besides, you seem like good people."

"We're just trying to figure out how to fix this mess," Riku said, eying Kovu.

"Don't look at me, I'm not with them," he protested. "Besides, this mess has been going on for years. If the Outlanders and Pride Landers were going to form a truce they'd have done it by now. There's too many differences."

"Not from where I'm standing..." Sora said quietly.

Kovu looked at Sora. "You wouldn't understand, you guys aren't part of either."

"What I don't understand," Sora snapped. "is that Scar wasn't exactly a great king. There was mass starvation and drought and I'm not even going to start on how he treated his own supporters."

Kovu glanced at the ground but didn't say anything.

"H-How about we talk about something else," Kiara suggested.

For the rest of the walk back Kiara and Kovu talked about their time apart and growing up while the Keybearers listened intently. Surprisingly they were very similar. Simba had been very observant of Kiara, rarely letting her go off on her own which explained why she was so angry at being followed during the hunt. Kovu didn't have much better. Zira's mother was apparently also the leader of the Outlanders, much to the Keybearers surprise, as well as Scar's lover (at least the most recent before he was defeated) and had kept an even closer eye on Kovu than Simba had Kiara, almost to the point where anything he didn't or didn't do was scrutinized.

"I couldn't take it anymore so I left," Kovu shrugged. "Mother doesn't take kindly to traitors. I was in the middle of escaping when the fire happened, then I found Kiara and...well, the rest you know."

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

By nightfall the rain had set in quelled the blaze. After Simba had explained what was going on the pride turned in for the night, however, the King refused to let Kovu sleep in the rock, forcing him to sleep by the cave entrance. Kovu frowned but didn't question. The King's orders were the King's orders. Sora and Xion volunteered to keep watch on him at Simba's request, annoying the young Outlander even more.

"...I haven't seen Simba like this, not even when Scar was alive," Sora sighed. "It's like he's so terrified of something like Scar happening again that he's not even willing to give people chances."

"It is...suspicious though," Xion replied quietly. "I mean...he escapes _just _as the fire starts, started by two Outlanders I might add, and just _happens _to save Kiara. There's something more to this..."

"I can hear you, you know," Kovu said, irritated.

Xion looked at him, then Sora and shrugged before curling herself up under a small alcove, Sora doing the same.

"Hey," Kiara whispered, running up next to Kovu. "Thanks for saving me today."

Kovu glared at her, standing. "What kind of hunter are you? You almost got yourself killed..."

"What are you saying?" Kiara asked, offended.

"You couldn't last three days on your own," he smirked.

"Oh boy..." Sora said.

"And I suppose _you _could teach me?" Kiara chuckled.

"Er...yeah," Kovu smirked as walked off.

"Kiara!" shouted Simba from inside.

"Coming!" Kiara shouted back as she ran up to Kovu. "Alright. Impress me. We start at dawn."

With that she headed inside. Kovu watched her, before smiling. "I look forward to it."

Sora shook his head. "Reminds me of me and Kairi," he chuckled. "After...well, after Xehanort was defeated."

Xion chuckled. "I bet you two had fun," she said with a wink. "In more ways than one."

"W-What's that meant to mean?"

"Oh, come on. I know you two are together," Xion laughed. "Two people in love...with the vigour of youth. Huh? You get me?" Xion laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. Sora pouted, making Xion laugh. "I'm teasing. I'll take first watch."

-*IV*-

Zira and Nuka watched in the darkness at the foot of Pride Rock. Nuka watched, helpless as Kovu let Kiara walk back. What?! How could he...? If that were him, Scar's _rightful _heir, he would have ripped her throat out there and then!

"Can you believe it?!" he shouted at Zira. "He let her go!"

"Quiet!" Zira hissed, slapping Nuka. "The closer he gets to Kiara, the closer he gets to Simba...and when he gets Simba alone..."

She chuckled before roaring, lashing out at a nearby tree and destroying it in one fell swoop.

Oh, yes.

It wouldn't be long now.


	19. 18) Play Time

**11/09/2015**

**A/N:** This chapter is little more faithful to the film and focuses on Kiara and Kovu. Balancing is a surprisingly hard thing to do when doing Disney adaption, but I think this the only way to do it without making the chapter awkward. The Keybearers will be more prominent next chapter, I promise.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**18: **Play Time

_**Pride Lands, Wildebeest Gorge**_

"Simba!" his father shouted. "Help me!"

Simba rushed to his father's aid. Mufasa, the Lion King, was gripping to the steep cliff of the gorge as those cursed wildebeest thundered underneath them, eyes glowing a demonic orange and horns sharp enough to pierce flesh. He could save him this time, he knew he could!

Simba jumped down onto a ledge, making sure he was steady. He slowly reached out his paw. "Father!" Simba shouted as Mufasa clawed his way up.

Then came the maniacal laughter. Simba turned, glaring at Scar as the evil lion made his way down. Simba's eyes widened in horror. No, not this time!

Not this time!

"Dad!" Simba encouraged, his father's paw just in reach. "Just a little further!"

"Gotcha!" Scar hissed as Simba felt him grab his other leg. "Trust me!"

"Simba!" Mufasa wailed as his grip gave up and sent him plummeting into the stampede below.

"No!" Simba shouted, turning to Scar full of anger. "Scar!" he roared.

Scar laughed, but as he did his face distorted into that of Kovu's.

"Y-You...?" Simba gasped.

That was is felt error. With a made grin and a roar Kovu threw Simba from the cliff, sending him down, down, down...

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

Simba woke up panting. He stood, shaking, and looked around. Nala and Kiara were ok, as were the rest of the pride. Kairi, Riku and Lea were asleep in their corner. Unsteady he went out on to the main rock. Kovu was asleep by the edge, on leg dangling off. Xion was asleep and Sora was busy daydreaming.

"You ok, Simba?" Sora asked when he noticed the lion. "You look spooked."

"Just...just a bad dream," Simba replied.

-*IV*-

That morning Simba woke. He slept considerably better for the rest of the night but that nightmare still had him rattled. Simba stepped out into the sun, stretching and yawning. Kovu had gone but Simba was too tired to care. With any luck the Outlander had fled both the Outlands and Pride Lands all together.

Simba sighed and headed for the waterhole. Still out of it he didn't notice Kovu behind a rock. The younger lion snarled, anticipating the kill. He poised and readied himself. Now, when Simba was alone was his best chance. He could-

"Hey, Kovu!" Sora said happily from behind him.

Kovu jumped in fright and growled, stopping immediately when he saw Sora and Kairi. "W-what..." he coughed and composed himself. "What are you two doing?"

"Well, I'm showing Kairi around," Sora replied. "That and Kiara wants to see you."

"Huh?"

"Guess who!"

"Man, you're well timed," Sora laughed as Kiara pounced on Kovu.

Kovu looked out on to the Savannah. Simba had gone and leaving now would be suspicious. Damn it!

"Surprised you, didn't I?" Kiara laughed. "I'm ready for my lesson."

Kovu opened his mouth to say something but Kiara was already skipping off with Sora and Kairi. "C'mon lets go!"

Kovu looked behind him and reluctantly followed. Now he had to wait until next morning. Why was Kiara so..._stupid?!_ It must have been Simba's over-protectiveness. Still. He couldn't help but find her naivety kind of cute.

-*IV*-

And so Kovu found himself lying in the grass, unamused. Sora and Kairi were a little ahead, sniggering at him making him even more annoyed. He could hear Kiara rustling through the grass, complaining every time she stood on a rock. She was so loud, no wonder she'd got into some much trouble yesterday.

"Three...two...one..." he said quietly.

"Gotcha!" she yelled as he ducked, sending Kiara rolling into the dirt. Kovu stood over her. "Er...you heard me, didn't you?" she asked sheepishly.

"Only..." Kovu said, trying to think of an easy way to say it. "A lot."

"Well...how about you teach her what she's doing wrong?" Kairi suggested.

"Yeah, it's like you have no idea how to interact with people," Sora said.

Kovu mentally sighed. "You're still breathing too hard. Relax. Feel the ground beneath your paws," he said, gently rubbing the dirt. "So that it doesn't shift and make noise."

"Hey what's that?" Sora asked, pointing some birds that were landing on a nearby hill.

"An opportunity," Kovu smirked. "Watch the master."

Kovu walked off, keeping low to the ground. Kiara followed and did the same, this time managing to make less noise. Kairi looked at Sora. "I-I can't...do _that!_" she said.

"We don't have to," he said reassuringly. "Just pretend you messed up."

The pair followed Kovu and Kiara closely. Suddenly Kovu broke into a run, scattering the birds.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!" came a scream. "D-Don't eat me!"

Kiara, Sora and Kairi looked at each other.

"Isn't that...?" Kiara asked.

"Timon!" Sora shouted, running after Kovu.

Sure enough Timon was between Kovu's front paws, begging for his life. Kovu just looked bewildered.

"Please!" Timon continued. "I never really met your tyrant...S-Scar!" he laughed nervously as he hastily corrected himself. "Oh, heck of a guy. Little moody but..."

"Timon?" Sora asked.

"O-Oh hey, guys!" Timon said with relief as Kovu let him go.

"What are you doing here?" Kiara asked him.

"Kiara! Thank goodness!" he laughed. "For once we're not following ya. This..." he spread his arms over the muddy hill that was currently occupied by dozens of birds. "Just happens to be the best smorgasbord in the Pride Lands! Bugs everywhere! But you don't call for a reservation and...yeesh..."

"Bugs?" Kairi asked, curling her nose at the hill.

"Would you believe if I say that's _all _Simba ate for most of his life?" Sora whispered.

"Ew," Kovu, Kiara and Kairi replied in disgust.

Timon didnt' hear. Currently he was trying to shoo the birds away. That was until one pecked him on the nose. Out of nowhere Pumbaa came charging, sending the flocks scattering around the hill again. Kiara giggled until the birds landed on the warthog.

"Oh, Timon..." he groaned. "I'm so tired...I gotta lose a few pounds." Timon frowned and climbed up him, shooing the birds away again as the four lions ran down to them. "Hey, have an idea," Pumbaa said when he saw Kovu. "Maybe he can help?"

"Oh, sure!" Timon said sarcastically. "Let the vicious Outlander take care of it...Hey! I have an idea!" Timon quickly ran to a slightly insulted Kovu. "Maybe he can help?"

Pumbaa nodded. "Wait, what?"

"You wanna led the voice?" Timon asked slyly. Kovu looked at him, confused. "C'mon...roar! Work with me!"

"Like this," Kiara said before giving an almighty roar that shook the savannah.

"Wow, she really is Simba's daughter," Sora laughed before roaring as well.

"You couldn't resist could you?" Kairi laughed.

Kovu looked at her hesitantly then roared powerfully.

Timon and Pumbaa cheered before taking off into the flock, followed by Kiara and Kovu as they roared. Kiara, Sora and Kairi laughed and cheered, their hearts racing. Kovu found himself laughing but wasn't able to comprehend why.

"Guys? Guys!" he shouted. "What is the point of this training?"

"Training?" Kairi asked.

"This is _fun!_" Kiara laughed.

"F-Fun?" Kovu asked, the word completely alien to him. That was one thing Zira's training never included.

Kiara and the others simply laughed and charged ahead, Timon flying past clinging to the legs of a bird. "You really need to get out more often. Yeehaw!"

Kovu looked at the others and hesitantly joined in. Soon enough he was putting all his efforts into the chase. This was felt..._good_. For the first time he felt like he could relax. Sora looked at him.

"You enjoying it?" he asked as they entered a small canyon.

"Yeah!" Kovu laughed. "Yeeeehaw!"

The group continued to laugh until the birds landed on some leathery mounds. It took a while to realized that they were rhinos, prompting them all to scream and skid to a halt.

"Uh oh," Kairi said.

The rhinos huffed, turning berserk. The group screamed and turned tail, speeding down the canyon as the rhinos charged them. Kiara screamed round the corner, hiding in a narrow cave. The others quickly followed her, squeezing up close as the rhinos surged past. When the coast was clear they fell apart laughing.

"What a _blast!_" Kovu shouted.

"Oh...Sorry," Sora said sheepishly.

"Ew!" Kairi giggled as they laughed again.

"You're ok, kid," Timon chuckled, nuggying Kovu. "You're ok."

Kovu smiled, feeling something he hadn't before. A connection, and not an obligatory one, like with his mother and siblings. He _wanted _to spend time with them. He _wanted _to be...friends with them. And Kiara. Her laugh, her smile. He loved it more and more.

The group eventually squeezed themselves out, stumbling on to the floor. Kiara landed on top of Kovu, their noses touching. They looked at each other awkwardly and laughed.

"Awww they make such a cute couple," Kairi squealed from a short distance. "What do you think Sora?"

Sora laughed and rubbing his nose on Kairi's. "I think he's alright."

"Hey!" Timon shouted. "Are you four coming, or not?"

Sora and Kairi looked at Kovu and Kiara. Together they followed Timon and Pumbaa to find something else to do for the day.

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

"Riku, Xion, Lea!" Simba shouted. The sparring Keybearers immediately headed to him, standing to attention. Simba waved at them to relax. "One of my lionesses spotted Heartless at the border with the Outlands. Would you be able to go defeat them? I'm worried about Kiara as it is without _them _running around."

"No problem," Riku said.

"You're not even going to _ask _about the giant keys?" Lea asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I've learned not to question," Simba chuckled.

-*IV*-

_**Radiant Garden**_

Mickey walked into the Restoration Committee's building. Leon bowed upon his arrival.

"Oh, shucks, Leon, you don't need to bow," Mickey smiled.

"Sorry, Your Majesty," Leon said apologetically.

"No need. I have to say I'm honestly amazed at the progress you've made with the town. It's almost like it was when Ansem the Wise was king."

Leon smiled. "We try are best. It's a shame he isn't alive to see it."

King Mickey nodded sadly. "He would have been so proud of you all. If only...if only he had more time with the Encoder."

The pair stood in silence until the nearby Ienzo coughed. "I'm sorry I have to break the remembrance of my mentor but, with EVE's help, Even and I have managed to find something in the report."

The King and Leon went over to him as he spread the report out on the table. "By the sounds of it," Ienzo continued. "Tesla had wrote a _lot _of books. But he kept them hidden on other worlds so they wouldn't be destroyed be the more...critical critics of his work. The report mentions a world: Talisman. But it doesn't give any clue to the location. Except!" he pointed to a series of numbers written on a separate piece of paper. "These numbers, they've from the bottom of the pages, out of order of course or completely wrong. Originally I thought it was nonsense, but if I put it into the UWA's map of the Realm of Light..."

Ienzo quickly typed the numbers into a laptop.

"They give the co-ordinates of a world," Leon said.

"That's the Land of Dragons," Mickey said.

Ienzo nodded. "I also found the name of one of his other works in the report. '_Life on the Battlefield_'. I reckon that something related to Talisman is in the book that is on that World. Either that or it leads to the next part of the sequence."

"Great," Leon said. "A treasure hunt."

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Savannah**_

It was late at night and the crickets were all that could be heard. Kovu and Kiara lay in the grass, looking at the stars. Kiara was busy showing Kovu all the different pictures the stars made. For Kovu merely spending time with her was enough.

"Look," Kiara said, pointing at one. "There's one that looks like two baby rabbits!"

Kovu squinted hard. "Oh, yeah! I see it too! Haha. Oh! There's one that looks like two lions killing each other for a scrap of meat!"

Kovu laughed earning an odd look from Kiara. Admittedly she had no idea how Kovu was raised. She had only met Zira once when she was a cub and the rest were all stories that her dad or the other lionesses told her to scare her into behaving. She could never understand how the Outlanders could be so brutal and always passed it off as rumour. Maybe that wasn't the case.

"Haha, I've never done this before, it's fun!" Kovu chuckled.

"Really?" asked a shocked Kiara. "My father and I used to do this all the time. He said all the great kings live up there. Watching down on us. Protecting us."

"Do you think Scar's up there?" Kovu asked automatically. He gasped when he realized what he had said, looking at Kiara, uneasy. He got up and walked to a tree, looking at the ground. Kiara went to him, worried. Kovu sighed. "Nuka...my brother. He was Scar's son. My sister, Vitani and I were adopted by him and for some reason Scar said he saw 'potential'. He wasn't my father, but he was still..._part _of me."

"My father told me..." Kiara said in hopes of comforting Kovu. "That there was a darkness in Scar that he couldn't escape. It'd had been there since he was a cub and allowed him to haunt my parents even after he died. It took all of my dad's courage before Scar was finally gone."

Kovu felt ill, thinking of Zira's 'lessons'. It had been to mould him into this...monster so evil that it transcended death. "M-Maybe...there's a darkness in me too?"

Kiara looked at him and gently nudged him. "I don't believe that for one second, Kovu," she said quietly.

From a distance Simba watched them. Tentatively he looked at the stars. "Father...I ask for your guidance. Kovu is one of _them_. Scar's heir...How can I accept him?"

"Simba?" Nala asked, coming up behind him.

"I was...seeking counsel from the Great Kings," Simba said, with a faint smile.

"And did they help?" Nala asked.

Simba sighed. "Silent as stars. My father would never..."

"Oh, Simba," Nala laughed, shushing him. "You want so much to walk the path that is expected of you. Maybe Kovu does not."

"What? How do you know of...?"

Nala chuckled. "I can see them just as easily as you can. Get to know him and see."

And then she left. Simba took one last look at the pair then followed her.

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

Kovu returned with Kiara a little later. The two brushed noses against each other and nudged each other affectionately, earning a cheer from the nearby Sora.

Kovu chuckled. "G'night."

"Good night," Kiara smiled before going inside. She sighed a little as Simba walked past her.

Simba watched Kovu make himself comfy in a small alcove. He hesitated then sighed. Slowly he walked up to Kovu. "It's...kinda cold tonight. Come on in."

Kovu looked at Simba, unsure. He knew he was meant to kill him but...he didn't _want _to. Especially not after spending the day with Kiara. He wanted to get to know her more and...he could spend the night _with _her tonight.

Kovu jumped to his feet and walked inside. He paused at the entrance, just make sure. Simba nodded.

Unbeknownst to them they were watched by Vitani. She watched horrified as Kovu let Simba live _again_.

"Get him, Kovu!" she whispered desperately. She growled and hurried back to Zira.

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, ?**_

"You sure?!" Zira roared.

"Affirmative," Vitani replied. "I saw it with my own eyes."

"No!" Zira seethed, darkness leaving her body. "Kovu cannot betray us!"


	20. 19) Ambushed

**14/09/2015**

**A/N: **This is the chapter where, after nearly 15 years since the release of _Lion King II: Simba's Pride_, I realized that the Outlanders are all f*cking nutjobs. Also, the backstory on Scar? Actually canon with the films.

Also, Nuka's death and Zira's inevitable defeat have been changed slightly. I found info on deleted content and I felt it fits them more.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds.

**19: **Ambushed

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

Kovu stepped out in the sunlight. He sighed. Kovu hadn't slept as well as he thought he would. All he could think of was how Kiara would react if she ever found out. No. It was better coming from him.

"I _have _to tell her today," Kovu said to himself. "Oh...but what do I say...? 'Kiara...Zira had a plot a-and I was part of it but...'" He sighed and continued. "'But I'm not anymore because...' ...because I love you" Kovu sighed, frustrated. "She'll never believe me..."

He turned, swallowing his pride and his fears. "But I have to try. Kiara!"

"Yes?" she asked, stepping out.

"I need to talk to you..."

"Kiara," Simba said, standing between them. "I don't want you talking with him."

Kovu's mind raced. Had he heard? Simba merely smiled. "_I _want to talk with him."

Simba winked at Kiara and walked out, Kovu following nervously. For the majority of the trip Simba and Kovu talked about their childhoods. How Kovu was raised to think that Simba was an anarchic tyrant and how Scar had ruined Simba's childhood by framing him for Mufasa's murder.

Simba explained that Scar, or Taka, as he was known as a cub, was the younger brother of Mufasa. Simba's grandfather, Ahadi, never spent much time with Scar. Instead Ahadi spent much of his time teaching Mufasa to be king. Scar became jealous and tried to get Mufasa killed purely and simply to gain his father's attention. The plan backfired and gave Scar his scar. Ahadi had also gone missing before this and never returned, causing Scar's resentment towards his father to shift to Mufasa and gradually turn into a fanatic desire to become king in order to prove himself.

"...In the end Scar couldn't let go of his hatred and it...destroyed him," Simba finished as they entered the Ashes. "I don't believe that Scar was truly evil. When I fought him with Sora, Donald and Goofy my uncle...seemed more sad and angry than anything else."

"I've...never heard the story of Scar that way," Kovu said quietly. "He truly was a killer."

Simba looked at Kovu's worried face. "Fire is a killer. But sometimes what's left behind can grow better than the generation before." He moved a pile of ash to show a newly sprouted sapling. "If given the chance."

"Ahahahaahaha," came an awful to familiar chuckle.

Simba looked around, confused but Kovu began to panic, recognizing the forms of the Outlanders coming through the dust.

"Oh, no..." Kovu gasped. "No, no, no, no..."

"Sssimba," Zira hissed as she stepped closer. "What are you doing out here? And so..._alone?_"

"Zira," Simba growled.

Zira merely chuckled as she took residence on a rock, flanked by Vitani and Nuka. "Well done, Kovu," she said proudly. "Just like we always planned."

Simba glared at Kovu. "You...!"

"No!" Kovu protested. "I swear, I had nothing to do with this!"

"Attack!" Zira ordered.

"_NO!_" Kovu shouted

Kovu watched in horror as the Outlanders all pounced on Simba. Luckily the king was strong and, despite being weighed down, managed to hold his own against the pride. That was until Nuka attacked.

"With you gone I'll prove _I'm _Scar's rightfully heir," Nuka growled, clamping his jaw on Simba's neck.

Kovu gasped and charged at Nuka, barely knocking him off, but he was kicked back during the fray. Simba gave an almighty roar and shook the Outlanders off before heading through the wastes, pursued by Zira's pack. Kovu watched as Simba slid down into Wildebeest Gorge, Zira laughing maniacally as her pride followed.

"Remember your training," Zira ordered as she slid down the cliff. "As a unit!"

Kovu skirted the edge as he watched the Outlanders chase Simba. Simba managed to power ahead until he came across a dam of logs and boulders. Kovu ran to the top. "Simba!" he shouted in panic. "Up here!"

Simba glared at Kovu and looked back at the Outlanders. Kovu knew that if he made it up Simba would attack him and, right now, both knew that was a better option than stay with Zira.

Simba clambered up the rocks as Zira ordered Kovu to attack him. Kovu looked frantically for a way to help. Maybe...Maybe if he came down to help...Yes, that's what he'd do. He ran off to find a way down, much to Zira's frustration.

"Kovu! Where are you going?! Get him!"

"I'll do it!" Nuka cackled, following Simba. "For _you_, mother!"

Simba looked back to see Nuka gaining on him, eyes ablaze with fury and wide grin on his face. Simba heaved himself up as the dam's gradient increased sharply. Nuka grinned and looked back at Zira.

"Mother, are you watching?" Nuka shouted happily. This was his moment, his chance to prove that his father made the wrong choice. "I'm do this for you, and I'm doing this me," he growled, reaching out and grabbing one of Simba's back legs. "_This_ is my moment of glory!"

Nuka prepared to pounce on Simba but has he did he felt a log break under him. Nuka slipped and let go, Simba finally heaving himself over. But as he did so, Simba caused several logs to slip. The dazed Nuka could only watch as the logs came crashing down on him, crushing his bones and trapping him in place.

"No!" Zira cried in horror as she saw her eldest be buried in the dam.

On a ledge Kovu watched it all. Ignoring Simba, Kovu went straight to Nuka to try and help him out. The Outlanders might be horrible fanatics, but Nuka was still his brother. Kovu made his way uneasily along the dam, pushing and pulling the logs away. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found the injured Nuka still breathing, only to be pushed out of the way by Zira.

"N-Nuka..." she whispered, heartbroken.

Nuka coughed weakly. "Well...I finally got your attention, didn't I?" he asked with a sad laugh. Zira merely smiled and stroked Nuka's head softly. Nuka smiled warmly. "I'm sorry...I t-tried..."

"Shhhhh..." Zira said softly as Nuka's last breath escaped him.

"Nuka..." Vitani said quiet as she came up beside her, hanging her head.

"Scar...watch over our poor Nuka..." Zira said quietly. Then she turned to Kovu, face twisted in rage. "You!" she roared, running to Kovu and slashing his face.

Kovu roared in pain as blood dripped from the cut on his eye. Zira gasped slightly. The injury gave him an uncanny, mocking resemblance to Scar. "What have you _done?!_" she shouted in anger.

"I-I didn't...I couldn't...I didn't mean..." Kovu babbled before catching his breath. It had finally hit him that Kovu had never been good enough for Zira. He was always a weapon first, and a bad one at that. He glared at his mother. "I. Did. _NOTHING!_"

"Exactly!" Zira shouted back. "And in doing so you betrayed your pride. Betrayed _Scar!_"

Kovu shook. It was always about that monster. He always had to be the priority, all his life. And he was sick of it. "I want nothing more to do with him!" Kovu roared.

"You cannot escape it!" Zira hissed. "Nuka is dead because of _you! _You killed your own brother!"

"No!" Kovu shouted, charging past Zira and the angry pride.

Vitani made a bid to follow him, but Zira stopped her. "Let him go," Zira snapped, heading to a small ledge. "Simba has hurt me for the last time! Now he has _corrupted _Kovu! Listen to me. Simba is _weak _and now is the time to attack. We shall take his kingdom...by _force!_"

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Savannah**_

Riku, Xion and Lea duelled with the Heartless by the borders. Most of them consisted of NeoShadows, Shamans and Aerial Knockers. Riku ducked as a Shaman began to float around surrounded by flames. He mentally groaned. If only Mio were with them, maybe she'd be able to convince the Heartless to leave. He watched as the Shaman returned to normal, dispatching it with Blizzaga.

"How the hell do you hit these things?" Lea asked as he leaped at an Aerial Knocker only to be punched in the face repeatedly. "Aaargh, you're so annoying!"

Xion leaped over, spinning herself round with the Keyblade and destroying the Aerial Knocker. Lea smiled at Xion and proceeded to beat up a group of NeoShadows. Things seemed to be going alright until some Living Bones showed up, charging through into the fray.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Xion shouted. "I hate these things!"

Xion glowed brightly and spun around, letting off several pillars of light that destroyed the Heartless instantly. Riku looked at Xion. "You couldn't have done that earlier?" he asked.

"It's very..." she panted. "Taxing on me...Phew..."

"Did the job though," Lea said. "Nice work, Xi."

Xion grinned slightly before flopping on the ground. "Can we go now?"

"Well, well, well, Wanataka," came a high pitched cackle. "Look what we have here."

The Keybearers turned to see a pair of identical twin lionesses staring down at them. They were thin and dirty and, judging from the colouring, were Outlanders.

"It seems we have some of Simba's friends, Ujinga," Wanataka grinned.

"Oh, hell..." Riku sighed. "We really don't have time for you guys."

Ujinga chuckled. "Too bad. If we beat you guys here we gain advantage for Zira's newest plan."

"Wait...what plan?" Riku asked.

"Like we'd tell you," Wanataka laughed. "We just need to _beat_ you here. You don't look so tough."

Lea stared at them. "Do you have any idea how many people have said that us? Xion?"

"Yeah?" Xion said getting to her feet.

"Go back to Pride Rock, we got this."

"R-Right," Xion nodded, getting up and running.


	21. 20) Scars

**15/09/2015**

**A/N:** KHII.8 has been announced! KH3D in HD! Woot!

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**20: **Scars

_**Pride Lands, Savannah**_

Xion ran as fast as she could, spotting Kiara, Pumbaa and Timon on a hill. She head for them and collapsed, panting.

"Hey, kiddo," Timon greeted. "Um...are you ok?"

"Z-Zira...has a new plan," Xion panted.

"Hold on, what do you mean?" Timon asked.

"Don't know...two...Outlanders mentioned..."

"DAD!" Kiara suddenly shouted, taking off at a run.

Everyone turned to see Simba limping up to them, battered and bruised. They quickly run to support him but the huge lion just collapsed.

"Daddy, what happened?" Kiara asked.

"Kovu...Ambush..." Simba groaned before passing out.

Kiara couldn't believe she had just heard. Pumbaa and Timon managed to pick up Simba and the four took him back to Pride Rock. Kiara lagged behind, leaving Xion to speak with her. Xion looked at her, fumbling for the words.

"Well...that was unexpected," Xion said.

"He didn't do it," Kiara said firmly.

"What?"

"The Kovu I know wouldn't be involved in that," Kiara said. "And I'll prove it. He couldn't have done it..."

Xion looked at Kiara. "You know this despite only knowing him a few days?"

"What are you trying to say?" Kiara snapped.

"Nothing, nothing!" Xion said quickly. "I just wanted to know how much you believe in him."

"Yeah, well...I believe with all my heart he wouldn't. I don't care if he was an Outlander or who is mother is! Kovu is a good person."

Xion looked on ahead. "We'll figure something out," she said with a faint smile.

-*IV*-

_**Elsewhere...**_

Riku and Lea had quickly overwhelmed the pair of lionesses. The boys had already given Wanataka a severe limp and Lea currently had Ujinga pinned.

"What's Zira's plan?" he demanded.

"I'm not telling you!" Ujinga spat.

"I'd rethink that," Lea replied, pushing a paw on her throat. "I don't mind doing the icky jobs."

"Ok! Ok!" Ujinga pleaded. "Zira's ambush with Kovu backfired! She's planning to launch an attack on Simba's pride and beat him by force! W-we were just here to scout the place!"

Lea looked at Riku. "I knew Kovu couldn't be trusted!" he roared, letting Ujinga go.

"Calm down, it might not be what you think," Riku said calmly.

"What do you mean?! He played us all for fools!" Lea shouted.

"What's that old Pride Lander saying?" Wanataka chuckled, sneaking up on them. "Never turn your back on an Outlander?"

Suddenly the air was filled with a powerful roar. Everyone turned to see Kovu pouncing on Wanataka, slashing her nose. "Go back to Zira where you belong!" he shouted.

"Sure thing, traitor," Ujinga said. "C'mon Wanataka. We're done here."

When the twins had left Kovu turned to Riku and Lea. "Hey guys."

"...You asshole!" Lea shouted, charging at him. Kovu put a paw on his head, stopping him. "Let me at him!"

"Will you stop attacking if I explain myself?"

Lea stopped. "Go on," he growled.

Kovu put his paw down and sighed. "Scar was defeated when I was a cub. He chose me to be his heir and my mo...Zira had moulded me since then to be the perfect king, specifically one in Scar's image. The one thing that would cement my rule was kill Simba.

"The fire was staged so that I would rescue Kiara and gain Simba's trust. I was meant to kill him the next morning when he went to the waterhole but...I hadn't anticipated falling in love with Kiara."

"Do you believe him?" Lea asked, turning to Riku.

"More than when I met him," Riku replied.

"You've got to believe me!" Kovu pleaded. "All my life it's been Scar this, Scar that, avenge Scar, Simba's evil. And I'm sick to death of constantly having to be his replacement. All I want is to be with Kiara, leave the Savannah and to be left alone."

"But your mother is going to start a war with Simba," Lea said.

"I don't care," Kovu replied. "I'm tired of me and Kiara being weapons in Zira's feud with Simba. I'll let him know and ask his forgiveness. Then I'm gone."

Lea gave Riku an uneasy look. Riku sighed, giving in. "Then we'll take you there. But no funny business."

Kovu nodded and the three set off across the Savannah.

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

It was sunset when Simba finally woke up. Thanks to Kairi most of his wounds were healed but the only thing on his mind was Kovu. News had quickly spread and all the animals of the Savannah were surround Pride Rock in worry and concern, but also wishing to see the Outlander put on trial for what he had done.

"Hey!" Sora shouted, looking from the rock. "Riku and Lea are back! And they brought Kovu with them!"

"Kovu!" Kiara cried, relieved he was alright.

Simba roared at her to stay back. Instead he came to the peak of Pride Rock. Kovu walked with his down as the animals of the Pride Lands began to mutter condemnation. Riku and Lea looked at each other uneasy. Neither of them knew what Simba would do but both felt responsible for at least making sure Kovu was alright. Sora and Kairi stood beside Simba, worried about what was happening.

"I've never seen him like this," Sora whispered to Kairi. "Not even when Scar was around."

"Yeah but...you saw what Kovu was like with Kiara yesterday," Kairi said quietly, looking at Sora. "He _couldn't _do that, even if he wanted to."

Sora nodded. "Simba, you need to hear him..."

"Quiet, Sora," Simba snapped as turned to Kovu. "Why have you come back?"

"Simba," Kovu started, looking for the words. "I had nothing to do with..."

"You don't belong here," Simba said, cutting him off.

"Simba, give him the chance to explain his side!" Riku shouted.

"Please...I ask your forgiveness," Kovu continued.

"Daddy, please, listening to him," Kiara pleaded.

"_SILENCE!_" Simba bellowed. "You asked for my judgement and I pass it now..."

"Simba, you're making a mistake!" Sora said firmly.

The crowd roared and cheered in anticipation while the Keybearers, Kiara and Nala waited with baited breath. Kovu gulped slightly.

"_EXILE!_"

"No!" Kiara cried.

**(Dance to the Death- KH 2.5 OST)**

The crowd stomped and jeered as the pride surrounded Kovu. Lea and Riku rushed to defend him, circling him to keep the pride away.

"This is bad..." Lea said to Riku.

Riku nodded, spotting Xion on the path down. "Sora, Kairi, come on!" she shouted.

"Right!" Sora nodded, rushing down with the girls.

"W-what...?" Simba asked in shock while Kiara smiled with delight.

Back in the crowd Riku and Lea were busy trying to keep the baying crowd from tearing Kovu to shreds. Lea fired off a Firaga to keep a few snakes back. "You know, these exile things look so much better when you're not defending the guy being exiled!" Lea shouted over the crowd.

"Shut up, Lea!" Xion shouted running to him.

"I'm just saying."

"We've gotta go!" Sora shouted, taking the lead. "Run, Kovu! Run!"

Kovu nodded and sped off as several gazelle charged.

"Liar!" they cried as the Keybearers fought them off.

"We'll hold the back," Lea said to Sora, Riku and Kairi. "You three make sure he doesn't get killed."

"R-Right," Sora nodded, heading off.

Damn it, why had it come to this? What were they going to tell Simba? Things were bad enough and defending Kovu wasn't going to help. But Kairi was right. Kovu _couldn't _have led Simba to an ambush. He loved Kiara too much.

"First the war, now this..." Riku muttered as he protected Kovu from several snakes.

"War?!" Kairi exclaimed as she blocked a zebra's kick.

"Zira's disowned Kovu," Riku explained as he cast Reflega on several gazelle, sending them flying. "Without her tool she wants to take the Pride Lands by force."

"Oh, no..." Sora groaned.

"Guys, duck!" Kovu shouted as a large family of monkeys rained coconuts on them.

Kovu and the Keybearers dodged frantically as they finally left Pride Rock. The crowd wasn't following them, that was good. Kovu was virtually home free.

"Enough!" Simba shouted, descending from the rock.

"Oh, crap..." Kairi whimpered.

"We just _had _to piss him off, didn't we?" Lea groaned.

"Sorry about this guys..." Kovu said quietly.

"Not your fault," Sora said. "Now go!"

Kovu nodded and sped down the valley, stumbling into a river. He gave one last sorry look at Pride Rock, pausing to catch his breath. As he did his reflection was replaced by that of Scar, sneering.

"No..." Kovu gasped.

"What are you doing?!" Riku shouted. "_RUN!_"

**(End 'Dance to the Death'**)

Kovu jumped up and bolted, dashing out into the Savannah. As he walked he thought back to his childhood. Not that he could call it that. There were no happy memories to speak of. Just training, training, training. And then he met Kiara.

Oh, Kiara...

"I'm so sorry..." Kovu sighed as he left.

-*IV*-

_**Pride Rock, Outskirts**_

"Do you have any idea how that looked?!" Simba bellowed as he stormed up to Sora. "Do you have any idea how it looked when the person that helped defeat Scar _defended _his heir?!"

"Do you have any idea what _you're _doing?!" Sora shouted back, furious at his friend. "You wouldn't even let Kovu explain himself! He loves your daughter, he wouldn't _dare _try and assassinate you!"

"He's an Outlander!"

"And we were trying to do the right thing, Simba!" Kairi snapped. "Kovu didn't deserve that!"

Simba growled and turned away. "Someone lied to them before, I am _not _letting that happen again. I will let that go this time. But my ruling will not be changed."

"Good," Riku said sternly. "Because Zira's planning an attack."

"What? When?"

"I don't know. Regardless of what you think, she's disowned Kovu and plans to take your kingdom by force."

Simba paced to think only for Kiara to come running up to the group, followed by Xion and Lea. "Daddy, _please _reconsider!"

"You will not go anywhere without an escort," Simba said.

"Please, Kovu would never...!"

"He used you to get me!"

"I see what we said landed on deaf ears," Kairi muttered.

"What? No!" Kiara said, shocked that her dad would believe such a thing. "He loves me. For _me._"

"Because you are _my _daughter!"

"Um...i-if you could actually just _listen _for once?" Lea suggested.

Simba ignored Lea and continued. "You will _not _ leave Pride Rock. You will stay here where I can keep an eye on you. _Away _from him!"

"You don't know him!" Kiara pleaded, on the verge of tears.

"I know he's following in Scar's pawprints," Simba sighed. "And I must follow my father's."

Kiara stared at him, rage building. "You will _never _be Mufasa!"

Simba gasped as Kiara stormed back to Pride Rock in tears. The Keybearers stared at each other awkwardly.

"Oooh, that's a burn," Lea said trying to break the silence.

"I'll go talk with her," Xion said, following after the princess.

Simba looked at Sora and the others. "Tell me more about Zira's plan."


	22. 21) Love Will Find a Way

**15/09/2015**

**A/N: **The hardest sequence of the whole damn thing. I hope I did it justice.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**21: **Love Will Find a Way

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

"War coming and I've got to play relationship counsellor," Xion muttered to herself as she climb back up on the rock, ignoring the mutterings of the animals that were still there.

Xion casually strolled up Pride Rock and entered the cave. She saw Kiara in tears in a corner of the cave, sobbing her heart out. Xion looked at the floor thinking of what to say. Her mind flashed back to the Organization, to Lea...to Roxas...

Roxas...

Regardless of what Roxas had done she still loved him.

She would do anything to have him back. And it would hypocritical of her to talk Kiara out of loving Kovu.

"Hey, Kiara," Xion said, trotting up to her.

Kiara sniffled and looked at her. "What do you want?"

"I know how upset you are," Xion sighed. Kiara gave an unconvincing look. "I do! But I also know that your dad is concerned about you getting hurt. We're trying to help get your dad to see sense, but..."

Xion watched Kiara cry again. She wasn't going to lie, Xion's heart was hurting watching this. She sighed and walked to a small crack in the rock, casting Blizzaga on it then smashing it. She repeated it a few times.

"What are you doing?" Kiara asked.

"You want Kovu, right?" Xion asked, smashing the ice one last time. "Go get him."

Kiara looked at Xion then the hole. Thanking Xion, Kiara squeezed through the hole and dashed off into the Savannah. She took one last look at Pride Rock then ran as fast as she could.

Think, think...

The waterhole!

Kiara dashed off there, spotting the familiar rocky outcrop and tree. She jumped down into the water.

"Kovu?" she asked, hopefully.

She sighed, disheartened that he wasn't there. She paced, thinking harder. The rhinos! Yeah! He'll be in that crevice, waiting for her. Kiara ran off again, rushing as quick as possible. The stars were out now and it was getting dark. It wasn't long before she came to the crevice, but to her dismay he wasn't there either.

A lump caught in Kiara's throat and she found herself crying again. She gave herself five minutes for this, then she would continue her search. All night if she had to.

-*IV*-

The moon shone bright as Kiara searched for Kovu. Everywhere she went proved fruitless and the more she looked the more heartache she felt. She couldn't ask if he'd been seen, the animals would run straight to her father, making things infinitely more difficult. As she watched some antelopes play Kiara looked at the stars, spotting the bunny and two lions she and Kovu had spotted the other night.

Trying to well up Kiara turned and headed into the jungles, hoping for some clue as to where Kovu had gone to. She struggled through the dense vegetation praying that Kovu was around. To her dismay he wasn't.

In the end Kiara found herself in the ashes of the Savannah, unable to find him. She laid down in the dust, giving up on ever finding him.

A short distance away Kovu watched, unsure of what to do. He wanted Kiara but he knew that Simba would never approve. But...Kiara had come all this way to find him. Surely that meant that, despite what Zira and Simba thought, they would always be together?

"Kiara!" Kovu shouted.

Kiara's head whipped round, her face spread into a joyous grin. She ran towards him, the pair embracing before running through ashes, playing and laughing in the dust. After the excitement left them, Kovu and Kiara sat and looked at the stars before running through the Savannah, rolling around playfully. The pair ended up by a nearby waterhole.

"Hey, look," Kovu said, pointing out their reflections. The way the water rippled made Kovu and Kiara's join together. "We are one."

Kiara stared, thinking back to when she was a cub. _As long as you live here_ she heard her father say, _it's who you are_.

Kiara thought for a moment. Aside from a difference in opinion what was there that separated the Outlanders from the Pride Landers? They were from the same pride originally, the ate the same food, drank from the same rivers...

"Let's get out of here!" Kovu suddenly said, jumping up, adding with a devious grin. "We'll start a pride all of our own."

"Kovu," Kiara giggled, walking up to him. "We have to go back."

"You're kidding, right?"

Kiara looked at Kovu, determined.

"But we're finally together!" he protested.

"Our place is with our pride," Kiara explained. "If we don't go back, they'll be divided forever."

Kovu looked at the pool of water, thinking. The Outlanders didn't deserve to live in Scar's shadow any longer. He _could _save his mother.

He had to.

-*IV*-

_**Pride Lands, Pride Rock**_

Lightning flashed as the rain crashed down. Timon groaned in frustration. While Simba was talking with Sora and the others about the coming battle Kiara had gone missing. Someone needs a leash for her, this was the eight thousandth time!

"I thought you were gonna watch her?" Timon asked Pumbaa.

"I thought _you _were gonna watch her?" Pumbaa shouted back.

"I thought you were!"

"I thought you were!"

"I thought you were!"

"You watch this!" Pumbaa yelled, jumping on Timon.

Timon yelled in pain, somehow managing to fight Pumbaa off and pouncing on him, pulling on his rubbery lips. "Take _this _you creepy warthog!"

Simba walked in, shaking himself dry, hoping for some peace and quiet. Instead he found himself walking in the rather amusing situation of Timon trying to make Pumbaa tap out. He sighed, irritated as it is.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Erm..." Timon stammered. "Let me ask _you_one."

"Hippothetically," Pumbaa said.

"Very _hypo_thetical," Timon corrected. "See, there's this guy..."

"But he's nota lion!"

"Definitely _not_ a lion! And his daughter say...vanished..."

"Kiara's _gone_?!" Simba asked, furious. After he'd already told her...

"Simba!" Sora shouted, running in. "The Outlanders have been spotted crossing the border!"

"Damn it!" Simba shouted. "Round up the lionesses! We end this tonight!"

"But if you just sit down and _talk_...!"Sora protested.

It was no use, Simba ran out, followed by Timon and Pumbaa. Sora rushed to the Keybearers. He could only hope they could sort things out at the battle.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: **The Pride Landers and the Keybearers have their showdown with Zira in **Long Live the King**


	23. 22) Long Live the King

**18/9/15**

**A/N: **Zira's death is actually from the cut content. Cos it's darker. I liked it.

Can also be called 'Everyone Gets A Pop at Zira'.

Enjoy!

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Trouble in the Worlds

**22: **Long Live the King

_**Pride Lands, Wildebeest Gorge, Gorge Top**_

Lightning flashed as Zira looked down at Simba and the others from atop a small rock, surrounded by her pride. Simba glared at her, flanked by the Keybearers with his pride behind him. Timon and Pumbaa took the time to show Zira their bottoms.

"Na na na nana na!" they chanted.

Zira ignored them. "It's over, Simba!" she roared. "I have dreamed of nothing else...for _years_."

"Boy, does she need a hobby," Timon said dryly.

"Wait!" Kairi shouted. "You don't need to do this, just sit down and _talk _for once!"

"We're past the point of talk, Kairi," Simba growled, not taking his eyes of Zira. "Last chance, Zira. Go. Home."

"I _am _home," Zira cackled. "..._Attack!_"

Zira's pride roared and charged as Simba's did the same. Sora, Xion, Kairi, Riku and Lea watched in horror as the lions started to tear each other apart. Sora looked at Riku.

"Riku...?"

"Damage control," he said, summoning _Way to the Dawn_. "That's all we can do."

The other Keybearers nodded and charged into the fray, trying their hardest to keep the two prides from killing each other. Kairi made her way to Nala, firing a Blizzaga at the Outlander attacking her. Nala nodded in thanks and ran to attack another Outlander, much to Kairi's dismay.

Xion was busy defending a few lionesses. While she would happily knock some sense into Simba's pride as well she couldn't risk _them _turning on the Keybearers and fighting them as well. This was so frustrating! Angry at the whole situation, Xion used Event Horizon, dashing at the Outlanders with beams of light. The sooner this was over the better.

Elsewhere, Lea was trying to get to Zira. Unfortunately he'd come across Vitani.

"Ready for round two?" Vitani growled.

Lea looked at her, readying himself. "You're better than this, Vitani. You know that."

Vitani ignored him and charged, slashing him with her claws. Lea managed to dodge and attack with his Keyblade. Vitani growled and lunged, pinning him on the ground. Lea roared, expelling some flames and sending Vitani flying. She picked herself up and the pair circled each other before attacking again.

Sora and Riku were trying to help Simba. Naturally the first person the Outlanders had gone for was him and, though powerful, Simba was being overwhelmed by the numbers due to his injuries from the ambush. Sora and Riku tried to pull them off using various Magnet spells but the lions kept attacking with stubborn determination.

On her rock Zira watched, proud of her pride. She looked at the stormy sky, hoping Scar would be watching her efforts to avenging him. But Simba's pride were holding their own.

"Go for the eyes!" she ordered. "Break her jaw! Hit him low! Get them! Do what you must!"

On the other side of the gorge Kiara and Kovu watched, shocked and horrified. Kiara ran off, looking for a way across the torrent that filled the gorge while Kovu watched. This..._this _is what his mother wanted?

"Kovu!" Kiara shouted from a small ledge.

"R-Right."

Kovu joined her. Slowly the pair made it past the logs that were mercifully holding most of the water back. About halfway across another log crashed through, knocking Kovu off balance. He clung to his log. Falling wasn't an option.

Kiara gasped. Kovu gave her small smile and pulled himself up. "I'm ok. Come on!"

The pair hurried to across the makeshift bridge just as it began to collapse behind them sending a surge of water through.

On the top of the gorge things were going from bad to worse. While the Simba's pride were fighting valiantly, and the Keybearers were putting in great effort, the fanaticism from Zira's pride was proving two much. Simba roared as her pride overwhelmed him, pinning him. Zira laughed and moved towards him.

"Simba!" she laughed. "You're mine."

Sora tried to make it to him, only to be pinned by two lionesses. He looked at his friends, finding them in similar situations. He smiled and cheered as Simba managed to break free, only for Zira to smack him down. Silence filled the battlefield as everyone turned to watch the battle. Simba and Zira circled each other, growling. They roared and prepared to attack...

When Kiara and Kovu roared and jumped between them, panting. Sora breathed a sigh of relief. Just in the nick of time.

"Kiara?" Simba asked in shock.

"Kovu!" Zira gasped as her son glared at her. "_Move_."

"Stand aside," Simba said darkly to Kiara.

Kiara didn't budge. "Daddy, this has to stop."

"You..." Zira growled at Kovu. "You're even weaker than I thought. Get out of the way!"

"You'll never hurt Kiara, or Simba," Kovu said, determined to stop this war. "Not while I'm here."

Sora looked at Riku and the others. Kovu...he was determined to stop this. That or die trying.

"Stay out of this," Simba ordered.

"A wise king once told me," Kiara said. "We are one. I didn't understand him then. But now I do."

"B-but they..." Simba protested.

"Them?" Kiara asked. "_Us! _What differences do you see?"

Simba's pride and the Outlanders stopped and looked at each other. The pride inspected the Outlanders, while the Outlanders' fanaticism disappeared. Vitani's eyes widened when she realized the fighting was pointless. What were they fighting for? A dead man who, if she was honest, was a terrible king? Simba gasped as he realized what he had done. Instead of working _with _Scar's...no..._Zira's _supporters he cast them out to prevent the same thing from happening.

And he'd caused the very problem he'd wanted to stop.

Simba looked at Kiara, who smiled. The two nudged each other's heads.

Zira glared. "Vitani! Now!"

"No, mother," she said back, standing beside Simba. "Kiara's right. Enough."

"If you will not fight..." Zira growled, specks of darkness coming off her. "Then _you _will die as well."

"Oh, no..." Sora gasped, moving quickly to the now free Keybearers. "We might be in a bit of trouble here," he whispered.

Riku looked at Zira, who was now standing alone as the Outlanders joined Simba one by one. "I see it too."

"Let it go, Zira," Simba said. "Put the past behind us."

"No..." Zira hissed. "No, no, no, _NO!_"

Immediately the Keybearers stood in front of the unified pride, ready. Darkness radiated from her again, stronger this time. A shiver ran down Simba's spine as he realized that Zira had suffered the same fate as her lover.

**(The Encounter- KH 2.5 OST)**

She was now a Heartless.

"Mother...?" Kovu asked, unsure of what to do.

"You want me to let it _go?_" Zira shouted. "_I'll never let it go!_" Zira roared in fury, trapping everyone in a barrier of darkness. "First I'll get rid of you, you little pests! Then Simba's pathetic family! And then I'll drag Simba's battered and bloodied body to Pride Rock and throw _him_of it! _This is for you, Scar!_"

**Zira**

**Queen of the Outlanders**

Zira roared, sending down several bolts of lightning that scorched the area. Sora led the charge, running up to Zira and slashing at her with the _Kingdom Key_. The lioness growled and swiped Sora away, only for Kairi and Riku to come flying at her, attacking her with light and darkness.

Zira howled in pain, surrounding herself with vicious spikes of ice. Kairi and Riku backed off a little. Zira chuckled and shattered the spikes, sending razor sharp spikes flying through the air. The three Keybearers ducked.

"Lea, we could use a hand!" Kairi shouted.

"On it!" Lea replied, jumping up and sending a powerful Firaga blast at Zira.

Zira dodged the majority of the blast, but got caught in the explosion and was sent flying. Zira stood and growled, charging with paws covered in ice. She laughed as she ploughed into Sora, slashing wildly.

"_You _helped kill Scar!" Zira roared. "I'll start with you first!"

"No!" Kovu shouted, pouncing on Zira and pinning her. "I won't let you cause anymore hate!"

"Get off me, you fool!" Zira growled, slashing his face again and kicking him off.

"No! No more!" Kovu roared, charging her and grabbing her, pinning her down and biting her neck.

Zira growled and roared, sending off sparks of electricity from her body. Simba managed to pull Kovu off and clawed at Zira, biting and roaring. Zira slashed Simba's legs, causing him to stumble. She pounced but Xion managed to bat her away.

"Thanks," Simba said, catching his breath.

"Don't thank me just yet," Xion replied, casting Cure on his leg.

"You're all pathetic!" Zira shouted. "Simba doesn't deserve to be king! He is _weak!_ He will lead you all to your deaths!" Zira growled, floating in the air as darkness surrounded her.

"Move!" Sora shouted as Zira dashed around the battlefield enveloped in darkness.

Zira laughed as she barrelled through her former pride and headed for Kiara.

"Kiara!" Nala shouted, heading for her daughter.

She was too late as Zira stopped short of Kiara and raised her darkness covered paw. Kiara dodged to the side and stamped down on Zira' paw. Kiara roared and lunged, biting at her neck. Zira shook her off and roared, Kiara backing away as Zira reached out for her. The princess slashed Zira, catching her off guard before beating her down.

"I am _not _scared of you!" Kiara shouted.

"Ahahaha...oh, you should be," Zira growled as Lea came up behind her, biting her tail. "Ow!" she shrieked, shaking him off, only to be attacked by Sora and Riku.

The two Keybearers ran circles around her, firing off Firagas and Dark Firagas. Zira growled, shooting spikes of ice again. The Keybearers dodged in time as Xion came leaping over them, slamming her _Kingdom Key_ down on Zira's head.

Zira roared in pain, shaking the ground as four defensive pillars shot out, sending Xion flying. Lea caught her and set her down.

"Thanks," Xion said.

"No problem," Lea nodded before running up to Zira. He jumped, sending his flame-covered Keyblade down on her. "_Burn, baby!_"

Flames surrounded the lioness as the ground beneath her turned into magma. Lea chuckled and danced in the flames, dashing out at her, burning her before hiding again. Zira growled in pain and paced.

"You think this petty parlour trick can defeat me?" Zira asked.

"No," Lea said casually. "But I'm certain it'll piss you off!" Lea laughed as he dashed out again, only for Zira to grab his face. "Uh oh..."

Zira growled, smashing him down on to the ground, cancelling out the flames. Simba and Sora ran at Zira, Simba knocking her off and battling her.

"Do you need healing?" Sora asked Lea as he stood.

"Nah, I'm good," Lea chuckled. "Just need a breather. Kick her ass."

Sora nodded and ran to help Simba. Simba roared as he smacked Zira's face with his heavy paw. Zira stumbled and lunged at Simba, grabbing him with paws laced with electricity. Simba yowled in pain until Sora knocked her off with Faith.

"Simba, King's Pride, now!"

"Right!"

The pair charged at her, leaping into the air and crashing down around her, send up jagged rocks and plumes of earth. Sora then leaped and span through the air, attacking Zira with his Keyblade will Zira spun around, swiping at her from underneath. Zira was tossed and sent tumbling through the air, landing between them. Sora and Simba both enveloped themselves in light and roared, shaking the earth around them as light shot out of the ground.

Zira yelled in pain and expelled some darkness from her, forcing the pair to back off. Riku came up to her and duelled her, swiping his Keyblade at her and dodging her paws. Zira angrily batted him away and roared, sending lightning crashing down on everyone again.

"Vitani, I need your help!" Kovu shouted at his sister.

"B-But..."

"I know your scared, but we can't let mother keep this up!"

"R-Right!" Vitani nodded.

The twins rushed their mother and pinned her.

"Vitani!" Zira cried. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Vitani ignored Zira as she clamped her teeth down hard around her neck. Zira roared in pain, sending off sparks of electricity once more. Vitani backed off as Kovu smacked her around the head again. Zira roared and attacked him, pinning him to the floor with her claws deep in his neck.

"You _traitor!_" Zira growled.

Kovu clawed and Zira's front legs, gasping for breath. Simba charged at Zira and threw her off, letting Kovu take in much needed air. He merely nodded politely and the pair ran to attack her again with Sora and Kairi.

The two lions and the pair of Keybearers jumped and pinned her to the ground, trying desperately contain her. Zira roared in fury, a huge explosion of darkness erupting from her sending the four of them flying.

Once again Zira dashed around the arena, lashing out at anyone that stood in her way. Xion growled and surrounded herself with light. She dashed towards the crazed lioness and slashed wildly at her. Zira lunged but Xion dodged and attacked again, sending out pillar of light towards her.

"Enough!" Xion shouted, sending her _Kingdom Key_ down into the ground and releasing a shockwave of light.

"No!" Zira roared as pain shot through her body. "I'm not going like this!"

The lioness roared and sent out shards of ice at Xion. Riku dashed towards her and threw up a Dark Barrier before lashing out with Dark Splicer. Zira growled, stumbling backwards. Kairi came up from behind her and attacked with a powerful Faith spell, burning Zira's skin with it.

Zira roared again. "My anger as grown for far too long!"

Zira lashed out at Kairi with claws of darkness. Kairi ducked as Sora dashed towards Zira, knocking her back and launching several Firaga spells at her once more. Zira growled and leaped up in the air, pillars of ice erupting from everywhere she landed. Sora and Simba chased her as she headed for Kiara again, cackling like a maniac.

Kiara braced herself as Zira came careening towards her but Nala jumped, colliding with her and biting Zira's stomach. Zira kicked at Nala's face with her back legs, shaking her off. Nala roared at her circled her.

"Back off," Nala hissed.

Zira merely chuckled and lashed out again, this time kicked by Lea. Lea launched as series of fireballs at Zira, all of them exploding around her, backed up by Xion and Riku attacking her with brutal swipes from their Keyblades.

Zira stumbled, dazed and was no match for Kairi blasting several Pearl spells at her. Zira swiped at them to said the spells away but it was no use. Finally Sora and Simba ran towards her, Sora attacking her with Break, rushing her and swiping wildly at her before Simba roared once more, sending plumes of light bursting from the ground.

Zira was sent flying through the air, landing near Kovu.

"K-Kovu..." she wheezed. "Help...me! Please..."

"No mother," Kovu said firmly, turning his back on her. "We're done."

**(End 'The Encounter')**

The barrier fell and the Keybearers took the chance to catch their breath. Simba rushed in to defend his friends as Zira struggled to stand, her fur becoming darker in colour. Simba growled slightly. "I'm not going to fight you anymore, Zira. It's over."

Zira stumbled slightly, laughing. "No, no, no...You can do whatever you want. Play happy families. I will hunt you. I will _kill _you! As long as I'm alive, you're all as good as _dead!_"

**(To Die For- Lion King OST)**

Zira roared and lunged at Simba. The Keybearers rushed to defend him, but Kiara came out of nowhere and struck Zira, the pair of them plunged off the cliff. Everyone rushed to the edge, Simba jumping off, determined to save her.

Meanwhile Kiara and Zira tumbled and bounced off the juts in the rock. Kiara landed on a ledge, stopping herself from sliding off, but Zira missed the ledge completely, ending up clinging to the sheer cliff face.

"Hold on, Kiara!" Nala shouted.

Suddenly a large creaking filled the air. Everyone's hearts stopped as the dam broke, sending water cascading down the gorge.

"Simba!" Sora shouted. "Simba, the river!"

Simba grunted and groaned as he leaped across the rocks. He was within reach, he just needed a little more time.

Kiara watched as the river thundered below them, heart racing. Slowly she reached out to the Outlander. "Zira," she said calmly. "Give me your paw."

Zira growled and lashed out her, swiping the paw away only to end up slipping more. Kiara reached out to Zira. She couldn't let her die, she _couldn't_.

"Zira, come on! I'll help you."

Zira slid more, looking down at the torrent below. She turned to face Kiara again and began to laugh.

"I would rather be with Scar forever than live with your pathetic little family," she growled.

Slowly and dramatically she let go, plummeting into the water below and laughing all the way. Kiara watched on, shocked as Zira plunged into the torrent. She didn't surface and soon after the torrent subsided.

**(End 'To Die For')**

Zira's body was nowhere to be found. At the top of the cliff Kovu sighed.

"I'm sorry..." Sora said quietly.

Kovu shook his head. "Its fine..."

"_We'll _be fine," Vitani said, standing next to her brother.

Meanwhile Kiara scanned the water for any sign of the old lioness. She sighed. Nothing.

"Kiara?" Simba asked as he came up to her.

"Daddy," she said sadly, taking his paw. "I tried."

Simba helped Kiara back up. When they arrived everyone cheered her, even the Outlanders. Simba smiled and turned to the Keybearers. "I suppose I should thank you again for helping us rid the Pride Lands of evil."

"Eh," Sora shrugged. "No biggie. It's what we do."

"Just...promise us we won't get killed by everyone when we come back," Lea said sheepishly. "You know...cos of defending Kovu."

Kovu glared at Lea, making him jump. Simba chuckled. "Right. Kovu?"

"Y-Yes, sir?"

"I was wrong," Simba said, apologetically. "You belong here. Let's go home." the king slowly turned to the Outlanders and smiled. "All of us."

The Outlanders all smiled happily, thankful that they had been given a second chance. Simba turned to the Keybearers. "Are you going to join us?"

"I think we'll pass," Riku said. "Now that Zira's gone you shouldn't have much problem with the Heartless for a while. We have to move on."

Simba gave a forgiving smile. "I understand."

"Make sure you come visit!" Kiara said happily.

"And thank you," Kovu smiled. "For everything."

Sora and the others all grinned. Sora waved his Keyblade and the five of them were returned to the Gummi Ship in human form.

"When you think about, Zira sort of succeeded," Xion said.

"What do you mean?" Lea asked as he opened the fridge.

"Well...Kovu's going to be king when Simba dies, right?"

Lea paused. "...Huh."

"You know, I'm gonna miss them," Kairi said as she sat down by the computer. "Oh, new email...looks like EVE wants us to return to Radiant Garden. Apparently they've deciphered that report."

* * *

**Next Chapter: **Sora's group earn some much needed respite. And we found out what Zero has been up to in **On the Trail**!


	24. 23) On the Trail

**20/09/2015**

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc**: Trouble in the Worlds

**23: **On the Trail

_**Radiant Garden**_

That morning, after landing the Gummi Ship the gang headed immediately to one of the cafes, ordering the biggest breakfasts they could find. Then seconds. Lea was busy wolfing his down competing with Xion for who could eat the most. Sora was well into his third course and Riku about to start his fourth.

Kairi sat there awkwardly.

"Guys you could have a _little_grace and dignity..." she said, politely eating a piece of bacon.

"You were there with us!" Lea protested. "We only had river water, and we were all in agreement that we weren't eating dead zebra. Circle of life my ass."

Kairi sighed as the others gobbled down the food like a flock of ravenous vultures. After clearing her plate and paying the bill the Keybearers headed out into the town, window shopping whilst going to the Restoration Committee HQ.

"Ohhh that dress is so cute!" Kairi squeaked at a deep red halterneck mini dress. "What do you think, Xion?"

Xion looked at the dress. "Eh...I prefer shorts and a shirt. Sorry."

"I think it looks nice," Sora smiled.

"Oooh, get you lover boy," Lea teased.

"Shush, you," Sora grumbled, making Riku laughed.

"You know, Sora," Riku said slyly. "I've never seen you go bright red over anyone else."

"Really?" Lea asked.

"Oh, yeah. I honestly thought that start dating before Destiny Islands was destroyed."

"Well we couldn't start dating with Xehanort running around doing...Xehanort things," Kairi smiled, hugging Sora tightly. "Besides, its nicer being together without any worries."

"Save Lux Vera," Lea muttered to Xion, who firmly elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shouldn't we be going?" Xion asked sweetly.

"C'mon, Lea," Riku chuckled, helping the newly crippled flame hobble along.

"She's got one hell of an elbow..." he groaned. Xion merely chuckled from behind.

"Hey, Sora?" Kairi said quietly, watching Xion.

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever get...suspicious of Xion?"

Sora thought a moment. "No, I can't say that I have. Why?"

"I don't know. I feel like she's hiding something..."

Sora kissed Kairi's cheek. "Well, if you find something I'll stand right by you."

Kairi smiled a little, hugging him. "Thanks, Sora."

Sora grinned and took Kairi's hand, heading for the Restoration Committee HQ.

-*IV*-

_**Restoration Committee HQ**_

"Hello guys," Rinoa greeted as they walked through the door. "How was your trip to the Pride Lands?"

"Well...it was alright," Lea said. "I mean, I was expecting _more_, but it was alright."

The building was only half full. Leon, Ienzo and Even were in the computer room and Zack was lazing in the living room, with Kara and Kaede discussing business over a bowl of ramen.

"Have fun?" Zack asked as he strummed a guitar on the sofa.

"Simba fudged up and started a war he meant to avoid," Xion replied. "We had to do damage control and then a zealot lioness became a Heartless."

"Oh, sweet!" Kaede exclaimed from the table. "Did she go out like a bitch? Or was it slow and painful?"

"That's disturbing," Kara said with a raised eyebrow.

"Asphyxiation by liquid after falling off a cliff," Riku replied simply.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Kara cheered. "Straight up Keybearer justice!"

Rinoa giggled. "Best not keep Squall waiting."

"Right," Sora said.

Even tutted the Keybearers lateness when they walked in, but was quickly shot down by Lea. Clearly Even was still terrified of the red-head after what happened in Castle Oblivion. Lea had to admit, he felt bad. Ienzo quickly shushed everyone and explained the plan.

"You five are going on a little treasure hunt," he said simply. "Long story short, this hidden code" Ienzo pointed to a serious of numbers "Leads to a World. On that World is a clue to get us closer to the World Lux Vera's god resides on."

"Seems easy enough," Sora said.

"Not so," Ienzo countered. "It is entirely possible that Lux Vera already knows this and is searching for the next clue _or _they're going to want you to do the hard work for them."

"So either way, we're damned if we do and damned if we don't?" Riku asked.

"Essentially."

Riku looked at the others and shrugged. "Where's the first one lead?"

"The Land of Dragons," EVE replied, switching herself on.

"Are you always listening?" Leon asked.

"Not always," EVE chuckled. "I had actually wanted to tell you that Aqua wanted to leave a message for you."

"Well, go ahead," Sora said.

EVE nodded and pulled up a video showing Aqua with a beautiful ocean and jungle islands behind her. Judging by the rocking of the video she was on a boat or ship.

"Is it on?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Ven replied.

"Hey, what sort of sorcery is this?" a rough-looking blonde man shouted, peering into the camera.

"Move Eddie!" Shade said, shoving the man out of the way. "Hi, Riku!"

"Shade..." Terra said, strained.

"Oh, right!" she said, facepalming. "Sowwey!"

Shade quickly left the camera, leaving a rather irritated Aqua on screen. "Ok, guys. I just wanted to tell you that we're going to be gone for a while. Probably several months. This...Zero's got his claws into a _lot _of places here, it's going to take some time to undo it all. So...we'll see you when can."

"I promise I'll write every day, Riku!" Shade shouted from the background, ending the video.

"Heh," Riku smirked. "I suppose we'd best get to work. Can't let Mio and the others have all the fun."

As they all left for the Gummi Ship Lea noticed Even stood quietly on his own.

"Hey...Vex...Even," Lea said, pulling the scientist to one side.

"Y-Yes?" Even asked, shaking.

"About...about Castle Oblivion..."

Even straightened, looking down him but still evidently scared. "What about C-Castle Oblivion?"

"About...what I did there. To you. To Ienzo," Lea sighed. "I wanted...ah...bear with me...I guess, I wanted to apologize for what I did to you both. Incinerating you and have the Riku Replica kill Ienzo. It was real shitty of me to do that. I'm sorry."

Even looked at Lea. "You're...serious?"

Lea nodded solemnly. "Yeah."

"Then I forgive you."

Lea blinked, surprised. "You do?"

Even nodded. "Make no mistake, I'm still furious about what you did as Axel. But we are Somebodies again and..." Even thought sadly about what he had done to Ansem the Wise. "We all did terrible things in the Organization. I know you and Isa wanted to overthrow Xemnas, that that was why you did what you did. I don't blame you. And so I forgive you?"

"Wait...you _knew?_"

"Lea, I'm a scientist, it was my _job _to know."

-*IV*-

_**Havana**_

**(La Havana- ACIV OST)**

Zero swirled his wineglass. The news that the Keybearers had deciphered the report was not the most _welcomed _news. It wasn't troubling either, he still had eyes on the group and letting them do the hard work certainly freed up his own time considerably, especially with his more recent set of meetings he had planned out during his time on Earth-4.

Zero chuckled and sipped on the wine, gazing around at the gargantuan garden surrounding the peach villa. He had to admit, this man was a bit too...wealthy for Zero's tastes. He found that wealth usually dulled a person's intelligence slightly, making them find easy ways out instead of working hard for the right solution. _But _if Lux Vera's research into this...Order was correct it could work both ways, for both groups.

Zero walked up to one of the balcony's by the villa wall, staring out at the colourful, warm town and out to the sparkling blue ocean beyond. He drank quietly, taking in the salty sea breeze and the cawing of the seagulls. This was a very nice world.

"Señor Zero?" a gruff guard in a yellow soldiers uniform asked in Spanish.

"Mmm?"

"Governor Laureano de Torres requests your presence. You'd better not waste his time."

"Oh, believe me," Zero replied in Spanish as he walked into the villa. "I believe Lux Vera and the Templar Order can come to quite the arrangement."

* * *

**Next chapter: **We check in with Shade, Aqua, Ven and Terra as they get caught up in a proxy war in **On the High Seas**.

* * *

**A/N: **Welp, another arc down. I hope everything's going fine. It seems to be. Anyway, we start a new arc next chapter. It's in the Caribbean, but not in the way you'd expect ;) Basically I'm trying something new and I'd appreciate feedback on the arc since it is a _bit _of a gamble. I've managed to plan it so it fits with the story, and don't worry: I plan on doing _**Dead Man's Chest/At World's End**_ but that won't be until _much _later.


	25. 24) On the High Seas

**23/09/2015**

**A/N: **Chapters 24 to 27 take place at the same time as the Pride Lands story.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**24: **On the High Seas

_**Sea of Stars **_

_**Shade**_

I...don't know-a...what the words really are!

(It's ok...we'll make them up...we'll make them up...)

No-one's-a what we are saying

But it's fun to sing it anyway-a

...

What? They're done with the Pride Lands?

Aww...I had a song ready and everything.

I hummed to myself as we flew through the vastness of space. I had to say it was exhilarating travelling through space but a lot less terrifying in a Gummi Ship and, naturally, I was too busy trying to preoccupy myself so I didn't notice the endless drop beneath me to hear Terra shouting at me.

"Shade!" he snapped, giving my Glider a sharp knock.

"Whaaaat is it?" I asked hesitantly, clinging to my Glider for dear life.

Terra tilted his head in his armour. "Are you ok?"

"No, you _idiot!_" I shrieked, my nails digging into the Glider's bars. "I feel all exposed!"

"You could put your armour on?" Ven suggested.

"_That's not exactly going to help!_" I wailed. "Plus I am part Heartless so it'd be useless anyway."

Ven looked at Aqua and shrugged. Aqua sighed. "Just hang on-"

"_Not funny!_"

"We're nearly there. See that blue dot over there?" She pointed to an orb that was coming ever closer. I nodded slowly. "That's where we're going. Shouldn't be more than five minutes."

"You promise?" I asked.

"Yes, I promise."

I nodded, breathing slowly. Until Terra knocked me again.

"I swear to Cosmos I'm gonna gut you when we land!" I yelled while Terra laughed.

"Terra, behave!" Aqua snapped.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said, barely containing himself.

Oooooh I could...I could...I could cover him in marmite and feathers!

The rest of the journey I spent shaking and resisting the urge to throw up. Soon we were hovering above the watery world and...the beauty of the world was lost as only one thought flooded my head: don't fall.

"You might want to put your armour on," Aqua said calmly. "Don't want you to burn up."

"Thanks for the heads up," I said, laughing nervously. I summoned my 'armour': a dark purple bodysuit with a blacked out Mark of Mastery emblem on it and blacked out helmet.

"You look like Vanitas," Ven noted.

I shrugged. "Can we just get this over with?"

Aqua chuckled and flew down to the World below, followed by Ven and Terra. I sighed, shaking, psyching myself.

"In for a penny..." I said, taking a deep breath and flying down.

I screamed at the top of my lungs as I flew through the atmosphere, feeling the tingling sensation of the heat around me. Oh, my Gods this was the most terrifying thing I had ever done! I was gonna kill them for this.

"Please-be-over-soon! Please-be-over-soon!" I pleaded quickly, not noticing the trees coming ever close. "Ah crap..." I groaned, suddenly realizing I was going too fast. Not able to slow down I flew straight through the canopy and face first into the mud, the momentum sending me flying over the bars. I end up on my back in a small murky lagoon.

"For a brick, she flew pretty good," Ven chuckled.

"I think I've developed a fear of flying," I said sitting up and taking off my helmet. "And Gliders. And all of you three."

I left the lagoon and dismissed my armour, standing next to Terra. Aqua oversaw me, making sure I was alright. My heart was still racing from the flight in but other than that she said I was find.

We set off through the warm, sticky jungle in search of civilization, Aqua leading the way on a small tracker we had been given before we left Radiant Garden. The path through the jungle was rocky and looked to have been hacked into the island than built with any logical sense. Colourful flowers sprouted from the edge of the path and the sounds of wildlife filled the air. It was peaceful but it didn't feel safe. This island felt wild, untamed and...and...

And there was a small village on the shore when we found the end of the jungle.

Huh.

Having no other option we headed for the village. By the looks of it the village was a fishing village of sorts and the smell of cooked fish was prominent. The village itself was built of the small cliffs and _on_ the water, on wooden stilts. Surrounding the docks (a wooden jetty) were several wooden ships powered by sails and one larger one moored to the dock itself.

"I think we should be careful of who sees the tracker," Ven said. "This World doesn't seem to be that advanced."

"Agreed," Aqua nodded, putting the tracker in a small bag. "Tracker says that Zero's on these islands though. _Which _island is the next question."

"Well, there's a boat there," Terra said. "We can hitch a ride to the nearest town. Ask around."

"I...!" I yelled from right behind Terra. "Agree with the big guy, this village doesn't seem that important to Zero." I noticed I got a load of dirty looks at that. "And don't worry Terra, I _will _get you back for earlier. Once I feel like it."

"Oh, joy," Terra sighed.

The four of us walked up to the docks, making sure to blend in as best as we could. Our fancy clothes stood out among the plain basic cotton shirts, skirts and pants of everyone else. As we were about to board the ship we stood by a man in a military uniform, presumably the captain. "This is a private ship. Either a ticket, one hundred and fifty Pound coins or the equivalent in Reales. _Up front_."

"Please, Sir," I begged in my cutest voice. "We just need a lift to the nearest town. O-Our ship crashed here and we've spent days in the jungle..."

"You don't _look _like you've spent days in the jungle," the captain said, unconvinced.

"Now, listen here," Terra said, barging to the front. "You'd better let us on or you'll regret it."

"Oh boy..." Ven groaned as the man drew his sword.

"You might want to rethink that, _boy_."

Terra angrily summoned _Ends of the Earth_ and entered a battle stance. We were almost immediately surrounded by other soldiers, all pointing swords and pistols at us.

"_Wait!_" Aqua shouted, standing between Terra and the first man. "Why do guys always use their muscle to sort out problems, honestly it likes dealing with children! Terra, _you_ of all people should have learned self control. Or do you want someone to take advantage of you like Xehanort did?"

Terra looked away and dismissed his Keyblade. Aqua huffed and turned on her heel to the captain. "I am so sorry for my friend, he's a little hard headed. At times..."

Aqua was busy talking, but I noticed that the man seemed infatuated with the young woman, stunned by her beauty. Hey, you can't deny it too. I've seen the fan art, guys. I leaned over to Ven.

"I wanna know what love is," I sang quietly. "I want you to show me!" Ven sniggered slightly.

"...So will you please let us on board? We don't have any money but I'm sure we'll _all _be more than happy to pull our weight. Right guys?"

"Yup," I chuckled.

"Yes," Ven nodded.

"I-I guess," Terra mumbled.

"Good. So, can we come aboard, pretty please?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Y-Yes, of course," the captain said. "I am so sorry, ma'am, for the misunderstanding."

He motioned to the guards to stand down quickly and held Aqua's hand as she stepped aboard. I laughed as boarded, followed by Ven and Terra. Terra quickly ran up to Aqua as she looked around the ship.

"Hey...I'm sorry about..._that_," he said sheepishly.

"It's alright," Aqua said smiling calmly. "I know you meant well, but you _need_ to learn to control it, okay?" Terra nodded glumly. "And cheer up too!" Aqua giggled, gently punching Terra's shoulder.

Terra smiled and hugged her. "Where would I be without you?"

"Aww," I said quietly as the heartbroken captain welled up next to me.

-*IV*-

_**West Indies Sea**_

True to Aqua's word we were put to work. Well, all _expect_ Aqua since she was the captain's favourite. Since we were good Keybearers we worked doubly hard to make damn sure we proved we weren't an unnecessary burden to the ship's crew, as they weren't too happy about four extra people being on board for free.

The brig, or the _HMS Small Bounty_, was a passenger ship in these waters. Most of the citizens were below deck in small cafe or their quarters. Terra and Ven worked on the rigging while I was a waitress downstairs. On my break I sat down by the bar and had a choice of booze, booze or booze.

I picked booze.

"Eurk," I gasped, nearly spitting the fowl liquid out. I forced it down. "What the hell is this stuff?"

"Ah, first time drinkin' rum, is it, lass?" the bartender asked.

"I'm not much of a drinker..." I admitted.

The bartender laughed. "Well, that'll be somethin' you've got to get used to on this journey. Rum lasts longer than water, and we ain't chancin' t' seawater."

"I don't blame you," I chuckled, forcing the rest down. "Uuurgh that's coming straight back up later..."

"Hahaha!"

I steadied myself against the rocking of the ship, looking at the guard in red stood by the door with a musket. "So...what's with the deal with them? Why so many soldiers?"

"Blimey, how much of a lightweight are ya?" the bartender laughed.

"Just answer the question," I smirked.

The bartender beckoned me in closer, speaking in a hushed voice. "Government says civilian ships 'ave to double as trade ships now. Merchants are too scared to sail what with t' Spanish an' British fighting. And while t' _Queen Anne's Revenge_, t' _Ranger_ an' t' _Jackdaw _aren't around no more, bloody Tories are too busy fightin' King Philp's navy it's allowed t' _Royal Fortune_ free reign."

"I'm guessing t' _Queen Anne_, t' _Ranger _ and t' _Jackdaw_ all belong t' pirates?"

"Aye, Thatch, Vane and Kenway."

"If there's only one pirate ship around, why is it a problem?"

"Are ya tellin' me you ain't ever heard a Black Bart?"

"That's racist!"

"Shuuush!" the bartender hissed. "Have ya really never heard of Bartholomew Roberts?"

"It's a long story," I replied, brushing it aside.

"Roberts is t' most successful pirate in t' West Indies! Four hundred ships he's took!"

"Pfft! I prefer Jack Sparrow," I laughed.

"It ain't no laughing matter, lass," the bartender sighed. "Aye, Sparrow may have initiative but _Roberts_...I 'ear he's so evil when he dies Hell would spit him back out."

I raised an eyebrow. "I've seen worse," I said with a shrug, turning to go on deck.

"If ya underestimate t' man, it'll be t' death of ya!"

In all fairness I _did _take the information into account. If Bartholomew Roberts was as maniacal as I was led to believe we may have a problem. Luckily, the ocean was vast. So, what are the chances?

Oh, let's face it. That's as bad as "this'll be the best wedding Walford's ever had!". Or anything to do with Walford.

Poor Walford.

"Hey guys," I said to the older Keybearers as I went out on to the deck. "Have fun, Aqua?"

"Hardly," she replied. "The captain's a sleazy one." She shuddered.

"Lovely. Any luck on Zero?"

Terra shook his head and pulled out a paper map, laying it on deck. "The tracker pinpoints him roughly here." He pointed to an area on the largest island, a town that said 'Havana'. "He's in Spanish territory. This ship is heading _here_," he pointed to one of the small islands. "Kingston, Jamaica. British territory. The crew said it _is _possible to take a ship from Kingston to Havana, but it's risky since the Spanish and the British are liable to fire on one another when they meet at sea, plus there are pirates milling about too."

"The bartender downstairs said there's only one we need to worry about," I said.

"It's the _Royal Fortune!_" one of crew members shouted.

"Thanks, mate," I shouted at the man on the rigging. "Ruin my..."

Then I realized he was pointing at something. The warning bell rang quickly as the four of us rushed to portside. A fair distance, but gaining ground, was a huge black galleon with gold trim. It had three towering masts filled with black and gold billowing sails and sides of the ship were filled with cannons.

But that wasn't the terrifying part.

Several loud bangs could be heard coming from it.

"What's it doing?" Ven asked.

"It's firing mortars!" another crew member shouted. "Get below deck!"

* * *

**Next Chapter: **Shade and the gang come face to face with an enemy of the mysterious Assassin Brotherhood and equally mysterious Templar Order in **Black Bart**.


	26. 25) Black Bart

**25/09/15**

**A/N: **A bit of clarity on Terra and Aqua's relationship. They aren't together, they have more of brother/sister relationship.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**25: **Black Bart

_**West Indies Sea**_

_**Shade**_

As soon as the shout was heard everyone hit action stations. The sails were pulled up as the ship turned sharply. Several soldiers manned the cannons and began firing at the giant ship. It did very little damage and panic set in as the ship came closer and closer with frightening speed.

"This is bad," Terra said quietly.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I joked. "Come on, we need to find lifeboats and get everyone off."

The others nodded and we rushed to the Captain's cabin, bursting through the door. He was already making plans to combat the _Royal Fortune_, with the crew. I looked at Aqua, knowing that it would be a futile attempt to make a stand.

"Captain!" Aqua saluted.

The man looked up. "What is it?"

"Where are the lifeboats?"

"The...lifeboats? Are you suggesting we abandon ship?!"

"Eh...sort of," Ven replied.

"We are the Royal Navy of the British Empire! King George! The finest naval fleet in the world! We will never abandon ship!"

"Sir, I don't mean to hurt your pride," Terra said, strained. "But isn't it worth giving the passengers a chance to survive? Stay and fight, by all means...we'll help. But at least let the passengers off-ship."

The captain paused to consider it. Finally, after what felt like a tense five minutes of whispering among him and his soldiers, he conceded. We followed him to the passengers quarters where he stood above and shouted over the panicking people.

"_Silence!_" he demanded. "I want you all to listen carefully. After careful consideration we have decided to remove you all from the ship. Women and children to the lifeboats first. Any men willing to stay and fight is welcomed. The _Small Bounty _will buy you all as much time as possible."

The four of us took to the deck while everyone else sorted themselves out. The wind had turned against the pirate ship, making it slower and buying us much needed time. Soon the seas were filled with pieces of driftwood and the deafening crack-ooms of cannon-fire. We helped as best we could, Terra and I launching Firaga spells at the _Royal Fortune's_ sails while Aqua and Ven manipulated the water and wind in our favour.

It wasn't enough and soon the _Royal Fortune _was right on top of us. Thankfully we'd managed to get everyone of ship when the bombardment started. The galleon lined up it broadsides at us, the ship towering over ours, casting a shadow over everyone.

"Aqua!" Terra roared.

"Already on it!" she yelled back, throwing up a huge Barrier.

The cannons fired, quickly tearing through the Barrier and shaking the ship apart. We were sent flying across the deck, tumbling into each other.

"Uugh..." I groaned, nearly barfing everywhere. "Ohhh that rum is going to come back with a vengeance..."

"Get up," Ven said hurriedly, helping me up "They're boarding."

The _Small Bounty _lurched to the left as we dragged with hooks to the ship with little to no effort. Pirates in black and brown rags crawled along the ropes, swords drawn when they hit our deck.

As the generic goons landed the soldiers launched into a frenzied last ditch attempt at saving their ship. The clanging of swords rang through the air as blood quickly splattered the deck.

We were forced to join in the fight, the three others taking care to not to gravely injure the pirates. I on the other hand...

"C'mere, girlie," some snivelling little 'man' cackled as a he came up to me, cutlass ready. "You wanna join us? We can make you feel...pleasured, yahahaha."

I stared him, kicking his legs out from under him and smacking his crotch the guard of my Keyblade repeatedly. "**Just fudging **_**try it!**_"

"You psychopath! the pirate screamed as I slashed his neck, letting him bleed out in panic.

I watched him roll around the deck, slowly pulling _Midnight Fury _up. "Ohhh...shit..." I whispered, slightly stunned. "Um...t-there, there? It'll be over quickly?"

"What are you doing?" Aqua asked, staring down at the pirate. "Did you just...?"

"If any asks! ...Lea did it."

"What the hell? Lea's not even with us!"

"Yeah, but...I mean, he does the icky jobs, right?"

"You can't use someone who _isn't here_!"

I shrugged before we were set up on by pirates again. The clash of swords died down as the captain made his voice heard.

"Alright, alright!" he said, dropping his sword. "We surrender. Please...l-let you captain aboard. All of you, kneel."

**(Meet the Sage- ACIV OST)**

The thud of boots hitting the deck silenced everyone. The four of us watched as a towering man walked towards us. He was dressed head to toe in fine, expensive looking clothes, mostly made from leather or fine cotton, all embroided with gold, and around his neck were several pearl necklaces and a locket with the visage of beautiful woman on it. Over all that was a light red trenchcoat with tassels on the shoulders, most likely stolen. Atop his head was a tricorn hat and a bandanna that hid the majority of his long black hair. His face was soft, but firm and his define features were a long handlebar moustache and heterochromia: his left eye was blue while the right eye was a yellow-brown. He moved through the pirates that were looting the ship.

This was the captain of the _Royal Fortune_: Bartholomew Roberts.

"Well, well," he chuckled in a thick, rustic accent. "Look what's coming crawling along towards us. A ship of fools trying to make a stand against the king of the pirates!"

"You really think we wouldn't fight back?" the captain asked, catching Roberts' gaze.

The pirate bent down. "I would like to think that your intelligence would outmatch your bravado. And then I remember _intelligent _people are few and far between."

The captain looked up at Roberts, trying to suppress his fear. "I made a decision that was best for this ship."

Roberts nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes, you probably did. Stand up."

"W-What?"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Show your crew the might of your bravery and stand up."

The captain did as he was told. Roberts leaned in close. "Now, I want you to turn to them and repeat what you said."

"I-I made a decision," the captain said weakly, turning around to face us all. "That was best for this ship."

"Louder, with more confidence!"

"I made a decision...oh, God...t-that was best for this ship!"

"Aye, you did. And this is your reward."

With one swift movement Roberts rammed his sword through the captain's chest, twisting it for good measure. The captain collapsed, gargling on his own blood as he died.

"You monster!" Aqua shouted.

Roberts turned his attention to us. He tilted his head, scanning the four of us from head to toe. Then he gazed over our Keyblades, eyes lighting up.

"Ah..." he said softly, walking up to us. "Now _they_ are something I haven't seen in near 75,000 years..."

"What?" Terra asked, voicing our concern.

"The four of you, stand up."

We stood, unsure and on edge. Roberts looked us down, one by one, eventually focusing on Ven. "Tell me, boy, does the Keyblade Order still exist?"

"Um..."

"No need to be nervous," Roberts said, a little calmer with us four than the captain.

"Sort of," Ven replied nervously. "There's only a handful of us left. The Order was destroyed about thirteen years ago."

"Shame," Roberts sighed. "See those made me wonder if Girans were still alive. If he were here it would give me hope that I could finally be with my beloved Juno once more."

"We have no idea what you're talking about..." Aqua said.

Roberts walked up to her, stand between the two of us. "Girans, one of the finest generals of the Keyblade War. He would lead troops into battle and overcome entire armies with but a fraction of the..."

**(End 'Meet the Sage')**

"Bleeergh!" I cried, barfing on the pirate's clean coat. "Uuugh...I _knew _that rum would come back on me..."

"You little...!" Roberts growled, grabbing me by the throat and lifting me up, pulling me close. I struggled as he inspected me, smelling the air around me. Then he held me at a distance. "You seem to be something new."

"You think some cheap words will win us over?" I choked out.

Roberts dropped me. I landed roughly on my rear. Roberts returned to his crew. "Spare the Keybearers. Dispose of the rest."

"No!" Aqua screamed, watching as Roberts' crew killed the British before fleeing to the _Royal Fortune_. "No, I'm not letting you get away with...!"

"Aqua, there's too many of them," Terra said, grabbing her arm. "I understand how you feel, but we're outnumbered and outgunned."

"But...!"

"We'll get him, I promise."

"Uh...guys...?" Ven asked slowly. "This looks bad."

We all turned to see the cannons of the _Royal Fortune _line up again.

Then the fifty-six broadsides fired.

-*IV*-

The four of us desperately swam to the surface, the ship sinking fast beneath us. I powered up, taking a deep, grateful breath when I surfaced. Scrambling to a large piece of driftwood I searched the ocean for my friends.

"Hey!" I shouted, spotting the others head's bobbing up and down. "Over here!"

Aqua waved and the three of them swam over to me. I helped Aqua and Ven up then moved on to Terra. He grabbed the side gently. "Just gimme a minute," he panted.

"No! That's how it starts!" I pleaded. "Then you let go and drown!" I grabbed his wrists tightly. "I'll never let go, Terra!"

Terra looked at me. "I'm fine," he said seriously. "I promise."

"I'm not gonna let you go!"

"Damn it, Shade, shut up!" he roared as he pulled himself up.

"Oh...sorry," I said sheepishly. "I got ahead of myself."

"So what do we do now?" Ven asked, watching the _Royal Fortune_ sail away.

Aqua looked around. On all sides were surrounded by endless ocean. "I...I don't know," she said.

"Gliders?" I suggested.

"Gliders have a twenty-four hour cooldown," Terra explained. "So...unless someone finds us..."

"We're stuck on a piece of driftwood all night," Ven finished watching the sun disappear on the horizon. Suddenly the warm sea air became cold and chilly. I pulled a lantern out of the sea and dried it off before lighting it with Dark Firaga and setting it between us.

It was going to be a long night.

-*IV*-

_**Several Hours Later**_

"Well this sucks," I sighed.

"If you've got any other suggestions I'd be happy to hear them," Aqua snapped, shivering.

"Aqua," Terra said sternly.

"Sorry," Aqua sighed. "I don't...I don't like the dark."

We all looked at her, then each other. Terra fumbled around a little.

"You thinking of something?" Ven asked.

"Just something to pass the time..." Terra replied. Then he started rapping.

"Iiiin the Land of Departure/I was born and raised/The arena is where I spent most of my days."

"Oh, no..." Aqua said quickly.

"Chillin' out/Maxin'/Relaxin' all cool/All shootin' Firagas outside of the school."

"No, no-no-no-no-no-no!"

"Then a couple of guys/They were up to no good!/Started making trouble in my neighbourhood!"

"Dammit Terra!" Aqua yelled as she strangled him. "I had enough bad singing in the Realm Beyond!"

Terra laughed and wrestled Aqua playfully, rocking the piece of driftwood. I stumbled, Ven grabbing the back of my jeans to stop me from falling. "Yes, yes, that's all nice and happy," I smiled. "Please don't let me drown."

"Haha, sorry," Terra chuckled.

Aqua sat up, not pleased. "If you EVER sing, I will kill you."

"When did you get so grumpy?"

"When did _you _get a sense of humour?"

"Oooh, that's a burn right there," Ven whispered.

We started laughing only to be interrupted by a loud bell. Ven's head perked over mine. "Guys! There's something coming, look!"

We all turned, giddy at the sight. Silently sailing through the night was a small twin mast ship with white sails. It had a black flag but it didn't matter to us. We waved it down, the ship dropping anchor near us.

We jumped off the driftwood and swam quickly to the ship. Its crew helped us up, wrapping blankets around us. We were grateful for that. The crew took us below deck to warm our shivering bodies. For about an hour the ship stayed put while we were questioned.

We told them about our the assault from Bartholomew Roberts and our search for Zero. Then one the crew members spotted Aqua's Mark of Mastery emblem and rushed on deck. Seconds later two men came down.

The first was a tanned man with whitish hair. He had warpaint on his face and wore a hood robe that looked to be from brown animal hide, decorated with red belts. He had light, leather armour around his chest, shoulders and shins. On his wrists were two concealed blades.

Beside him was a darker skinned man in similar, sleeveless robe that looked to be made from black cloth. He had slightly thick armour, with the same red belts and wrist blades. Both had a symbol that looked like a compass and bowl somewhere on their outfits.

"Keybearers," the brown-robed man said.

"How do you know what we are?" Terra asked quickly and defensively.

"You belong to an Order that I've only heard of in legend," the man replied, sitting down. "This is Adéwalé and I am Ah Tabai. Mentor and leader of the Assassin Brotherhood of the Caribbean."

* * *

**Next chapter: **The gang meet up with everyone's second favourite pirate captain.


	27. 26) Assassins and Templars

**13/10/15**

**A/N: **So, last chapter we started a very long character arc for Shade. This one is a little shorter, but if I don't split it across this one and the next one it'll be a bit too long.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc:** Treasure Hunt

**26: **Assassins and Templars

_**West Indies Sea**_

_**Shade**_

I looked between Aqua, Terra, Ven and Ah Tabai. "Well what the fudge is that supposed to mean?"

Ah Tabai smiled. "All in time. Adéwalé, if you could get our guests some food. I imagine they are quite hungry."

"Certainly, Mentor," the other man, Adéwalé, said, smiling at our furiously nodding heads.

About twenty minutes later, after we were greedily down some sort of porridge...stuff. It wasn't much but, after the ordeal during the day I was grateful to fill my stomach, we all were. Ah Tabai watched us intently as we ate, inspecting us. For all the calm, friendly demeanour he had, it was slightly unnerving.

"How do you know about the Keyblade?" Terra said, putting his wooden bowl down on the table.

"I do not know much, only rumours and ancient texts passed down through my brotherhood from mentor to mentor. They are connected to the First Civilization and all but disappeared along with them. Beyond their function, nothing more. I have not seen a Keybearer in person and, thankfully, we have not had the misfortunate to run into any Heartless on this world. Not since Captain Barbossa's crew was defeated."

"Let's hope it stays that way," I said quickly. Less he knew about my 'condition' the better.

"Likewise," Ah Tabai nodded.

"You mentioned your brotherhood?" Aqua asked. "Can you tell us more about them? I think...all of us would like to know where it stands."

"You are looking to see if we can be allies," Ah Tabai chuckled.

"Well, normally the word 'assassin' rings alarm bells," Aqua replied tersely.

"Do not worry, I understand. Assassins, like Adéwalé and myself, strive to preserve the freedom of humanity from those that wish to use control and harm us for their own ends. So we end them."

"That's...quite a paradox," I said slowly, concerned.

"It is one that Altair Ibn La'Ahad himself wrote into the core of the Brotherhood's values. We seek peace, but do it through murder. We strive to open the minds of all mankind, but require a set of rules to so. We wish to reveal the dangers of blind faith, yet are practitioners ourselves."

"I find it hard to believe you're the good guys," Terra said in disgust.

"It is not ideal, no," Adé explained. "As followers of the Creed, we know this. But sometimes people have to die if things are to change."

"And it is better than the alternative," Ah Tabai added bitterly.

"What's that?" Ven asked hesitantly.

"The Templer Order," Adé replied just as bitterly. "A cult of people that wish to control mankind and think themselves above mortal men. All in the name of the greater good."

The four of us looked at each other. The Assassins and the Templars...both want to 'help' the world. One wants freedom, the other wants control. I looked at Aqua. "You're the boss of this mission, your call."

Aqua pondered a moment, then glanced at Ah Tabai. "We need...more proof."

"What more do you want?" Adé asked.

"Patience, Adéwalé," Ah Tabai said gently. "I don't not blame the Keyblade Order of being so wary of our Brotherhood, especially considering this is our first meeting. The man that attacked you, Bartholomew Roberts, is what we call a Sage. The Templar's wish to use his blood to open a Precursor site that will allow them to blackmail the world's empires into doing their bidding. We wish him dead."

"But then you can't have this site either."

"Better no one can use it than the Templars."

Aqua smiled. "Very well, we'll join you."

Ah Tabai smiled as well. "Good. Then I hope you can help me with our current mission. Having four Keybearers as backup would help greatly."

"And what is this job?" Terra asked.

"There is are two women imprisoned in Port Royal," Adéwalé explained. "On, Mary Read, is an Assassin, while the other, Anne Bonny, is her associate. There is also another, a man named Edward Kenway. My...former captain. While he is not an Assassin, he would be of great asset to our cause. He has also had the most interaction with Roberts."

"A prison break then?" Terra chuckled. "Doesn't sound too difficult."

"Why is it always prisons?" Aqua muttered under her breath.

"We'll help you stop these Templars," Ven said enthusiastically.

Ah Tabai shook his head. "The Assassin-Templar War has been raging since the First Keyblade War ended. And I have no doubt it will rage centuries more. You can't stop this war, but if you could help us stop the Caribbean Rite it would be greatly appreciated."

Aqua nodded. "Sounds fair. If you could, you could inform us on any sightings of Zero or Lux Vera in return?"

"Then we are in agreement," Ah Tabai smiled, shaking Aqua's hands. "It is a pleasure Master Aqua."

"Likewise, Ah Tabai."

With that done I headed for the deck for some air. I couldn't able but think about what happened on the _Small Bounty_. The sight of that poor man bleeding out on the deck. And _I _did that! But that wasn't what scared me the most. What scared me the most was, to be truthful, I didn't feel that terrible.

_**He was nothing. Nobody. Insignificant**_.

I shook the thought out of my head and stared out over the ocean. I was not think like that now. Not when I'd...

"Mio," said a voice.

I turned, Keyblade drawn. It was Aqua.

"You were talking to yourself," she said.

"I always talk to myself," I replied, half-joking.

"Yeah. But when you hissing to yourself and muttering swear words I tend to worry," Aqua replied.

"There's nothing to worry _about_," I laughed.

_**Liar...**_ I thought bitterly.

"Look, Riku didn't want you to know this but before we left he made me promise to make sure you were alright."

"I _am _alright, Aqua, stop worrying."

"Mio. You _killed _a man."

"By _accident_," I stressed. Aqua didn't look convinced. "I slashed while he was in the middle of moving, I caught his neck. That's _it._"

"Even so. Killing someone is never an easy thing to deal with."

"Aqua, please trust me when I say I'm alright. It was an accident, I'm over it."

Aqua sighed and nodded before leaving. I looked out of the sea again, watching the night sky twinkle brightly. "It was an accident," I said quietly. "I'm over it."

The more I said it, the less I was convinced.


	28. 27) Breakout

**17/10/15**

**A/N: **Well, this was depressing to write.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**27: **Breakout

_**West Indies Sea**_

_**Shade**_

Ah Tabai anchored his ship about a mile of the coast of Jamaica in early morning. Then he and the four of us took a small rowing boat into the island proper, landing us on a small spit of land that housed a large fort of some kind, presumably Port Royal. The pathway into the prison had a fair trees scattered about, from most hung gibbets, narrow iron caskets that were used to starve prisoners. There was only one that held a man, a man in moth bitten rags and scruffy, dirty blonde hair tied in a small ponytail. I assumed he was Edward Kenway, judging from the descriptions Adéwalé gave us.

"Take these," Ah Tabai said, handing us a wrist blade each, while he put a blowpipe on his back and a pouch of darts on his belt. "I don't expect you to use them, but if there is no other option..."

"There won't _be _that option," Aqua said sternly.

Ah Tabai gave her a sceptical, slightly amused look, then jumped out of the boat, beckoning us to follow quietly. The five of us sneaked up the pathway, sticking to the bushes to stay hidden. The path was littered with guards in red, but two were busy mocking the man in the gibbet.

"What's your name, pillock?" the first one asked with a snigger. "Kenmore? Conway?"

"It's Walpole, isn't it?" his friend asked.

"Walpole? Where'd ya hear that?"

"That's the rumour going 'round. As dirty and daft a pirate as ever sailed the West Indies."

"Dafter than Sparrow?"

"Tenfold. Believes there's some magic temple that shows you anyone in the world on these islands."

"HA! What a tosser!"

"Well, whatever his name is," a third, high-ranking guard said as he walked up to the pair. "You're to make sure he suffers without dying. Orders from Governor Rogers. And back to the prisons at sundown."

"And massage 'is feet if they's aching, shall I?" the second one asked sarcastically.

"Jaysus," said the first. "A crap detail as ever was."

"Can't they just kill the bastard? Ain't been a good hanging in months, not since Rackham got his."

The third guard shrugged, evidently exasperated by the situation too. "Eh, it's hard to understand how this works. I heard they scooped up Captain Vane near a year ago, and he's still not seen the end of a rope."

"I can't fathom it. Some men they stretch for days after capture. Others they just sit on."

Ah Tabai readied himself, but Aqua stopped him. Instead she cast Sleep on the trio of guards. After we were certain they were out of it we approached the gibbet, Ah Tabai picking up a ring of keys.

"Good morning, Captain Kenway," Ah Tabai said. "I have a gift for you."

The Assassin threw the keys up at Edward, who silently unlocked his gibbet and jumped out. He reached his hand out to Ah Tabai. The Assassin refused to take it. I wondered if there was a bad blood between them.

"Do not mistake my purpose," Ah Tabai said firmly. "I am here for Anne and Mary, you owe my nothing for this. But...if you would lend me your aid, I can promise you safe passage from this place."

Edward glanced at us, then back at Ah Tabai. "I'll need weapons."

"You comfortable with these, I am told..."

Ah Tabai handed Edward the blowpipe, pouch and a pair of wrist blades. Edward calmly strapped the gauntlets to his forearms, flexing the blades in and out.

"Do you know which cell they're in?" Ah Tabai asked.

"A fair clue, yes," Edward replied.

"Good. May introduce to you Terra, Aqua, Ven and Shade. They will be helping us in our mission."

We waved at Edward but he ignored us, focusing on the prison behind us. "I'll go on ahead, lead the way. We'll have less chance of being spotted."

"Take Shade and Aqua with you."

"I don't _need _assistance."

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. Take them."

**(Marked for Death- ACIV OST)**

Edward huffed. "Fine."

"Good. Let us hurry."

With that the six of us rushed over the prison wall, landing in the bushes with a dull rustle. Edward took off, Aqua and I following him. We stopped behind a wall, Edward peaking out. There were two guards ahead of us beside a giant brass bell.

"One of you needs to get their attention. The other needs to stop the one that will run for that bell, understand?"

"Hai, Cap'n!" I said.

Edward looked at me, annoyed. "Just get on with it."

I dashed over to the bushes and crawled up to the two guards.

"Why 'aven't they hanged that other one?" the butcher of the two guards asked. "Walpole, or some such idiot name?"

"Maybe he has friends looking out for him?" his shorter friend asked back.

"Or money. Like Stede Bonnet from Barbados."

"No, no. They hanged him too."

"Did they?"

"Aye. Blubbering and bawling, he collapsed at the gallows," the short guard sniggered. "Weeping like a little lamb."

"Serves the git right."

I looked at Edward, who was visibly furious at the pair. Aqua looked at me then dashed out. "Hey! Over here!"

"What? Intruder!" the butch guard yelled, picking up an axe and marching to Aqua.

I leaped out of the bush as the short one ran for the bell. I summoned my Keyblade and swung the blunt hilt at him, knocking him out with a sickening crack from his nose. I turned, watching Edward leap out and stab the man with a hidden blade, a gurgling sound coming from the guard.

"Don't you _dare_ disrespect Bonnet like that!" he hissed. "You didn't know him..."

I ran up to him. "Calm down, Eddie. Who was...Steve?"

"Stede," Edward corrected. "He was my friend, helped me after I was shipwrecked. Annoying little man but...he was no fit to be a pirate." Edward held a hand to his head. "But he did so because I glorified it..."

Aqua looked at me, then at Edward. "We need to move, Ah Tabai and the others are coming."

Edward nodded and led us further into the complex, sticking to the shadows. We managed to make it to the complex without any kills, Aqua casting sleep on the guards and Eddie firing sleep darts at them. Eventually we made it to the entrance of the main building, Edward stealthily killing the guards. Ah Tabai joined us with Terra and Ven soon after, setting about picking the lock. As he did Edward looked up at a gibbet. In it was a thin, decaying body in torn brown and orange clothes.

"Christ, no..." Edward gasped, obviously recognizing the body.

"You know him?" Terra asked.

"Yes he...we weren't close but..." Edward sighed. "You weren't much of a friend Jack Rackham. Nor an able sailor neither. But you were strange and lively, and you made me laugh more than once. And that's enough to make me sorry for seeing you like this. I hope you found a lasting peace, down there, among the dead."

Edward stood there, his clenched fists shaking slightly. I couldn't help but wonder...Eddie gave of gruff confidence but...there was something else. An immense loss of some sort. We jumped as the door slammed up.

"Hurry, Captain Kenway," Ah Tabai ordered. "I fear we may of caught their attention."

We rushed into the complex, silently disposing of the guards on post. We silently marched down the corridors, coming to a large room with empty cells, save one. In the corner, dressed in grey rags, long black hair matted and his beard covered in crumbs, was a man no more than thirty. He was singing absentmindedly, eerily. Edward made a beeline for him, crouching in front of the cell door.

"Hello, Vane. I caught wind you'd been discovered and brought here. Didn't hear what happened after though." The man, Vane, looked at Edward and shouted unintelligibly. Edward sighed and stood. "Best of luck to you, mate. I wish we'd parted as friends."

And there it was again. A looking in eyes that looked so similar. Riku said I had it sometimes, and you know how Riku can brood when he's depressed too. Edward had a look of loss, but more than that, more than a look of loss. He looked like he had...nothing. And a hell of a lot of regret.

"You spineless cockrobin!" came a shrill, accented. shout from down the hallway.

"That's...Anne," Edward gasped, running down the hall. We followed after, listening to the shouts from her and the guards.

"Help her, for God's sake! Fetch help, somebody! Mary's ill! Somebody please!"

"Hush your pie hole, bloody mick!" came a snarl from a guard.

"Mary...!" Edward shouted, running faster.

Anne's cries got louder. "My friend's just had a child, and she's...she's poorly now! Help, somebody!"

"Shut your bleeding trap, or I'll fill it my own way!"

"That..._**inhuman**_..." I growled, dashing faster.

"Shade...Mio, wait!" Aqua shouted.

"Murderers! A grown man, standing over a dying lady, like she's a piece of meat!"

"A dying _pirate_, there's your difference! And if she dies from childbirth, all the better. God carries out her sentence, and our hands are clean!"

"You bastards! Somebody help!"

Edward and I rounded the corner, Edward barrelling into the guard and stabbing him repeatedly. I slowed slightly, head throbbing. I shook it clear, breathing heavily. In the cell were two women, one was slightly androgynous looking, with shoulder length brown hair. The other one had dark red hair and beautiful dark brown eyes. She was stunning to be honest. And she was heavily pregnant too. I watched her scream loudly, clutching a belly.

"Oh, shit..." I whispered, before shouting down the hall. "Guys! Hurry up, one of them's in labour!"

Aqua and the others rounded the corner, Aqua's eyes widening at the sight. "Crap...Terra, Ven, you keep any guards at bay. Ah Tabai, help me."

"Of course."

By now Edward had unlocked the cell door with a key he'd looted from the dead guard. He hurried to the ill woman, cupping her face gently. "Christ, Mary...It's me, Edward!"

Mary groaned incoherently. I don't think she even realized what was happening.

"Edward, who are these people?" the other woman asked as Ah Tabai and Aqua gently steadied her.

"It's alright Anne, they're friends," Edward reassured. "What's wrong with Mary?"

"She's ill," Anne said shakily, panting.

"And the child?"

"They took her. No idea where..aaah!"

Anne gritted her teeth and groaned, her contractions hurting her again.

"I know it hurts, ma'am," Aqua said softly, squeezing her hand. "But we need to be quiet." Anne nodded, inhaling sharply. Aqua soothed her, looking at the boys. "Well don't just stand there, come on, move, move! There's a baby coming!"

"R-Right!" Terra and Ven both said, leading them to the exit.

I stayed with Edward and Mary. She was stirring, her pale face lighting up at the sight of him. Edward smiled slightly. "It's good to see you, Mary."

"And I you..." she replied, her husky voice pained.

Edward motioned me to help her up. I did, but struggled. She seemed to be refusing to leave. "Can you walk?" Edward asked. "Lean on us, Mary. Come on."

We managed to support Mary, helping her out as fast as we could. Edward gently reassured her every step of the way but...it didn't look good.

"Search every cell!" a voice shouted, making me freeze for a moment.

"We need to hurry, Edward," I said firmly.

Edward nodded and sped up slightly. "Come on. That's it. You're all right."

"Stop!" Mary insisted. "Stop. Please..."

"I ain't leaving you dammit!" Edward shouted, frustrated. "Lift your arm!"

Gods...this was awful to watch. I felt a lump in my throat and my stomach turned in protest. Every nerve was yelling at me to leave. I looked behind me as a bell began to rang. "Damn it!" I hissed. "Edward, pick her up. We won't make it if she's walking."

Edward hastily nodded, picking up Mary. The door was in sight now. We could...we could do this. We...

"Put me down, Edward!" Mary insisted weakly. "Don't die on my account. Go."

Edward hesitated, refusing. Instead he stood there, tears forming. "You're such a pain in the arse," he said with a sad chuckle. "Damn it, you should have been the one to outlast me."

"I've done my part," Mary said softly. "Will you?"

"If you came with me, I could," Edward replied, tears running down his face. "Mary?"

"I'll be with you, Kenway. I will..."

A cold shiver ran up my spine as Mary's body went limp. Edward pressed his forehead to hers, biting back louder sobs. I ran my hand through my hair. God, I hate stuff like this. Then the guards round the corner, flintlock pistols aimed out us.

"Stop right there!" a guard yelled.

"Oh, screw you!" I screamed, throwing a large Dark Firaga at their feet, blocking their path. "Edward!" I shouted, grabbing his arm. He looked at me, lost and alone. "I'm so sorry...but we need to move."

Edward nodded and we ran out of the prison complex. I led the way, heading down the main pathway, firing off several spells to keep the guards at bay. When we rushed through the gate, I welding it shut with a few Firagas. They wouldn't be getting out soon.

I followed after Edward as he gently placed Mary's body in the rowboat. Anne wasn't screaming and Terra was cradling the baby. But I recognized the spell Aqua was casting on it as Curaga. Damn it!

I heaved a heavy sigh, calming myself if nothing else.

"What's happened to Mary?" Anne asked when she spotted her friend. "What's wrong?"

"Is she gone?" Ah Tabai asked.

Edward did nothing but gave a faint nod.

"Oh, no..." Anne sobbed.

"What will you do now?" I asked him.

"Nothing sensible," Edward replied bitterly.

Ah Tabai walked up to him, handing him a set of blue and white Assassin's robes. "You haven't earned these yet. But they suit you. Good fortune to you, Edward Kenway."

Edward scoffed and got changed. Afterwards we left the prison in silence, mulling over everything that had happened.


	29. 28) Delirium

**22/10/15**

**A/N: **Halo 5, Halo 5, Halo 5, Halo 5...good grief they've made 8 of them?

So, Halo 5 is out today and I will probably spend a week or so binge playing all but multiplayer, since my router doesn't like my Xbox. On the plus side, I won't drop off for a month! Bad news? I might randomly drop off around Christmas/New Year when I'm meant to be get my own router.

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**28: **Delirium

_**Kingston, Jamaica**_

_**Shade**_

Despite Ah Tabai's insistence on Edward leaving the island with him, the newly freed pirate refused. In a fit of anger he accused Ah Tabai of having misplaced pity for him and nearly tipped the rowboat until the Assassin dropped him off in the town's main harbour. I insisted we stayed with him. Ah Tabai begrudgingly agreed and gave us a pouch of Pounds.

"What makes you so interested in him?" Aqua asked as we walked down the busy street.

I shrugged. "Losing a friend, a close friend, as a terrible effect on you. I imagine you know this too, Aqua." Aqua nodded, so I continued. "Look. In Port Royal I saw something in him. A spark. An urge to do what's best. He just needs to find a place to focus it. I don't know why, but I _know _I need to help him."

"Why? He's not exactly hero material..." Terra muttered.

"Did Aqua and Ven give up on _you_?"

Terra straightened and looked away. I nodded and turned. "You don't have to stay, go with Ah Tabai if you want. But I can't leave Eddie like this, I just can't."

"...Fine," Aqua sighed, relenting. "I'll find us an inn and _then _you go find Captain Kenway."

I nodded and we set off in search of an inn. Kingston, like the rest of this world, evidently, was made mostly from wood than bricks. Small farms littered back gardens and the smells of cooked meats wafted through the air. People of all colours walked the brightly coloured streets, though I saw that it was mostly darker skinned people that worked.

Hmm...

We eventually found a nice looking place, the _Stinking Pig_. We entered, find a small café with a balcony above them. The elderly woman at the counter smiled and welcomed us up to her.

"What can I get you fine young men and women?" she asked warmly.

"Uh...two rooms," Terra said. "One for me and Ven, the other for the girls?"

"Um...let me see...yes, yes, we have a few vacancies."

Terra nodded. "Will this do?" he asked, putting a large pile of Pounds on the counter.

The woman looked at them, astonished. Then she picked them up and left the building, laughing happily. I looked around.

"Well that was odd," I said.

The others murmured in agreement.

-*IV*-

That evening I searched for Edward. After wandering the town and getting chatted up by all the drunks (uugh...I hate alcohol) I entered a local tavern. I imagine Edward, like every other man on this world it seemed, liked a good drink. I also imagine he was one of those who, when depressed, would drink more.

As I entered the smell of booze hit me, as did the loud, joyous cacophony of fiddles and singing. Aside from the gambling and the shouting and...groping of barmaids there wasn't much of interest. Apart from a lonely looking pirate in the corner.

I looked at him sadly, sighing a little before making my way over him. Pulling a stool I slide next to him. "Hey," I said over the music. Edward looked at me, annoyed, before glugging down a bottle of rum. He was swaying and he stank. Still, I tried. "Look...I know losing a close friend is hard but..."

"Do you?!" he yelled, smashing his bottle down. The bartender came up but I motioned for him to stop. Calmly, I let Edward continue. "How many people have you lost?! One? Two?" he scoffed and shook his head. "All my friends are dead! Do you get that?! I have lost a woman I cared a great deal about! And in doing so I have alienated the last person I could call a friend!"

"I'm sure Anne doesn't think like that..."

"What do you know about her?" he slurred. "Eh?! You don't even _know _what's happened to me! And you think, what, that some poxy words would make me feel better?" He shook his head with disgust. "Piss off."

I sighed and nodded. "I'll be at the _Stinking Pig_ if you want to talk."

"Tch...Bring a bottle!" Edward yelled at the bartender, ignoring me.

Sighing once more I left the tavern and sat on a small wall nearby. Midori appeared next to me, handing me an ice cream cone. "You ok, Ma'am?"

"Eh...so-so, I guess..." I said with shrug. "You brought ice cream to me...at night?"

"You said it was a warm island!"

I chuckled and took a bit. "I appreciate it. I...I just thought I could help _someone_. Just once."

"You remember Paul, don't you?"

I nodded, think of my former friend. The one that died protecting me from Organization XIII. "When that Mary woman died he...he was devastated. I think he loved her. She clearly meant a lot to him at least."

"And you want to help?"

"Would it be wrong to?"

"No. But you can't save everyone. You need to remember that."

I gave my friend a cold stare. "That doesn't mean I can't try."

"That's my prize, Roberts!" shouted Edward as he stumbled out of the pub's door. "Give it here!"

"Roberts?" I asked myself, watching him chase after some drunk hallucination. I looked at Midori. "_That _Roberts?"

Midori shrugged.

I got up and followed after him. Whatever he was seeing it was clearly distressing him. But what I was interested in was how he knew Roberts. By the sounds of it, Edward held a deep hatred for him and, as he stumbled down the streets, he yelled a variety of curse words at the phantom pirate.

My favourite was 'lobotomized sh*tlark'.

As I weaved my way through the crowds after him, I turned and found Midori being accosted by Yuki.

"You just _left!_" she yelled, pouting, blowing her pink fringe of the way.

"Something came up!" Midori protested. "I had to come."

"Still..." she grumbled.

"Hey, Yuki," I said, walking up to her. "Wanna help catch a drunk man?" The devious grin on her face was all I needed. "Great, now..." I turned, looking through the crowd. "He...isn't here..." I sighed. "Spread out and find him, he can't have gone far."

-*IV*-

Edward stumbled after Roberts. That man...that man used him and mocked everything he'd done. Smug, smarmy, always knowing but giving vague answers. He knew about the Observatory, and Edward would make him talk. He followed Roberts in the crowd, coming up behind him, grabbed Roberts' head and plunging his hidden blade deep into Roberts' back. As the pirate fell he turned into a faceless Assassin in white. Edward stood there, shaking. No...he couldn't be responsible for any more deaths...

But where...?

There! In the crowd. Edward chased Roberts, plunging his hidden blade into the man again. Once again an Assassin fell to the ground.

_No more..._

"Not fast enough, are ye, boy?" Roberts laughed from behind him, holding a glowing crystal skull. The skull glowed brighter, enveloping Edward in a bright light.

Edward found himself aboard his ship, the _Jackdaw_. Surrounding him was a violent hurricane, the wind whipping around him and the rain sting his face. Water devils surged past him as the thunder cracked above him. He was headed for an island...Long Bay...the Observatory!

He steadied himself and grabbed the wheel of the _Jackdaw_. Lightning flashed and beside him was a pretty young woman. He recognized the long, flowing red hair and bright eyes.

His wife, Caroline, was with him again. Edward smiled, but Caroline was not too pleased to see him. "No more than two years!" she screamed at him over the roar of the wind. "Two years! You _promised_..."

"You left!" Edward spat in retaliation. "You _left_...when I needed you the most! I needed you! And you _weren't there!_"

"But you had me..." Caroline sobbed, shaking her head. "What keeps you wandering? Do I not make you happy...?"

"I'm so close," Edward chuckled, ignoring her pleas. "Please! Just let me do this!"

_No more..._

Caroline frowned and the lightning flashed again. This time, stood by him was Mary, her face twisted in fury. Edward ignored her, heading closer to the island. Instead, Mary grabbed the wheel. "Is everything you do out of spite, Edward?" she asked, concerned.

"It's not spite that's driving me, Mary," Edward snarled. "It's courage!"

"Courage?" Mary repeated, astonished. "Courage for what, man? There's no one left in your life to care!"

"God damn you all!" Edward yelled as lightning flashed again. "I can handle this!"

"You lout," Mary growled. "Always tearing things down, when you could be building them up!" She looked as the Observatory came closer and closer. "Building yourself up, if nothing else..."

"Just leave me be!" Edward cried, tears streaming down his face.

Mary grabbed him, pulling him from the wheel and forcing him to look at the carnage around him. "Change course! Change your bloody course before it's too late!"

Then Mary let go, leaving Edward to brace himself as the _Jackdaw _smashed into the island.

-*IV*-

_**Shade**_

It was early morning and the sun was already beating down on Kingston. I'd been searching for Edward all night, Midori and Yuki combing the island as well in case he'd got lost in the jungle. I eventually made my way to the harbour beach, finding Adéwalé fighting of a group of white men. I say fight. The men that had obviously instigated ran away when it became clear the Assassin wasn't one to be messed with.

"Do people always act like this?" I asked him. "Around you?"

Adé nodded, not too fussed. "I am used to it."

"Still...it's not...right."

"No. But it is the way of the world at the moment. I mean, how can I compete with faces of such...fairness?"

I smiled sheepishly. "I think I'm a little _too _pale for these people."

"Come, walk with me," Adé said smiling, beckoning me to follow. "You and your friends seem to be respectful. More than the people of this world anyway. Where are you from?"

"Uh...different places really. Aqua's from Coraltown Lake, Ven's from a place called Radiant Garden. Terra's from the Land of Departure and I'm from Subeta, though I live on Destiny Islands. I have to say..." I said slowly, looking at the distrusting looks and sneers Adé was getting. "We don't have this level of...hate off-world."

"I am used to it. And while there are countries where people of my colour would be accepted, my accent would keep them from doing so."

"Why? Where are you from?"

"Trinidad, to the south of here. Now. I'm assuming you are looking for Edward?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because I believe I've found him."

Adé pointed to a passed out man further up the beach. I rushed to him, followed by Adé. Panicking, I violently shook him awake. Edward groaned and stirred, holding his head.

"Edward? Edward? Eyes up, Edward," I said gently.

He looked at us both, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"He's awake!"

"Captain Kenway," Adé chuckled. "You look like a bowl of plum duff."

"Christ," Edward smiled, sitting up. "I've got a head for ten."

"On your feet," Adé said, helping him up.

Edward stumbled and stared at us. First thing he did was mess my hair. "Thank you...for not giving up on me." I grinned in response, making Edward chuckle. "And you," he turned to Adé. "You put on a spot, Adé. After you leaving me with Roberts, I should have hard feelings about seeing you here." He sighed, before laughing, pulling Adé into a tight hug. "But mostly, I'm bloody glad!"

"Me too, breddah. And you'll be chuffed to know your _Jackdaw _is still in one piece."

Adé pointed to a heavily armed and armoured brig with dark red sails that was moored to the harbour. She was quite a beautiful ship. Edward looked at her with a wistful smile. "Shall we set sail for..." he asked, turning to Adé, only to see the man leaving. "You're leaving?"

"Aye, Edward," he replied. "I have another calling elsewhere."

"Adé," Edward started, apologetically. "Listen, I..."

Adéwalé stopped him. "When your heart and your head are ready, visit the Assassins. I think you'll understand then..."

And with that Adé disappeared into the crowd.

I folded my arms. "How _does _he do that?" I looked at Edward. "Well, Eddie? What do you want to do?"

Edward looked at the wrist blade on his left arm, flexing the blade in and out. "I have much to make up for. But I fear that no amount of work will be enough to undo it."

I looked at the dishevelled, hungover ex-pirate. "You have a lot of regret don't you?"

"More than you could know."

I looked down a little, thinking. "Sometimes...sometimes we do bad things for good reasons. Sometimes we get the answer right and sometimes we get it wrong. When we get it wrong it hurts. But...you pick yourself up and you do it right the next time around. It's what Mary would have wanted."

"Aye...aye, you're right."

"I think we got off on the wrong foot last time," I said, holding out my hand. "I'm Shade."

He smiled and took. "Edward Kenway."

-*IV*-

**Next chapter: **Zero and Laureano have their meeting, and the Keybearers meet the Assassin Brotherhood.


	30. 29) Meeting Between Grandmasters

**A/N: **So, as of the writing of this chapter KHIV has had 1,132 unique visitors. Yay.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**30: **Meeting Between Grandmasters

_**Havana, Cuba**_

Zero lazed on a large chair, sipping the finest wines Cuba had to offer. This world was certainly a...deeply troubled one. Racism and sexism were rife, and it seemed if you were anything but a white, heterosexual man, you were pretty much destined to suffer from abuse in some form for the rest of your life.

Or worse.

And 'worse' seemed to be the only option for pirates.

He sighed as he watched a hanging in the distance. Such a primitive world. _But_ if these Templars were to be believed, it had potential. And a huge abundance of Orinexus technology to boot.

The mansions balcony door opened with a creak and out stepped a elderly flanked by two guards. He was dressed in fine linen clothes, a red suit, smart black leather shoes and white sock with a dark blue coat embroided with gold patterns over him. His skin was darkly tanned and his entire head was framed by white hair, either on his scalp, as sideburns or as a beard. On his right ring finger was a white ring bearing a red cross.

"Senõr Torres," Zero said cheerfully, standing and shaking the man's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, I must thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice."

"The pleasure is all mine, Senõr Zero," Laureano replied in a soft papery voice. "Not many people know of the First Civilization, and none have described it as thoroughly as you have."

Zero laughed. "I make it my business to know these things. Whether...underhand or not."

"I admire your tenacity," Laureano smiled. "Tell me, how many sites have you found? Both on and off-world?"

Zero sighed. "Not as much as I would like. Lux Vera has recently found a site on Haven, but it turned out to be a burial ground. But still, small victories."

"Indeed. If people knew what really happened before the First Keyblade War, maybe they would be more respectful of the worlds they live on."

"Mhmm," Zero looked over at the slave auction below. "I'm curious, how come you haven't outlawed slavery in Havana?"

Laureano shrugged. "I may be the Grandmaster of the Caribbean Rite, but I am not King Philip. It is down to him to ban the selling of human lives, but it is too profitable a business." Zero frowned at the man, Laureano speaking calmly. "Do not misunderstand me, Zero. I find the notion of slavery appalling. I believe all thinking, feeling men deserve respect and opportunity."

"But the Templars wish to enslave all men under their rule," Zero countered.

"This is not to say I believe in the natural equality of all races and sexes. Surely the most talented and intelligent should lead, and the rest follow?"

"And those talented and intelligent people just so happen to be the Templars?"

"Naturally. Under our rule all men will be equal."

"With the Templar Order above them."

"A necessary part of ensure peace. The sheep need a shepherd. Do you not agree with me Zero?" Zero remained silent, drinking his wine. Laureano chuckled. "But tell me. Lux Vera believes in a deity. By contrast, the Templar Order do not. What makes you think we are willing to work with you?"

"Because you yearn to use the Pieces of Eden, correct?"

"Sí."

"I've managed to reverse engineer it."

"I'm sorry?" Laureano asked, astonished.

"Yup," Zero smirked.

"H-How did...?"

"The First Civilization's technology is not magic. You know this. It's very much grounded in science. I just figured out how they worked. When you know the workings of say...an Apple, or a Sword it's very easy to recreate it."

"I must say...I...am impressed."

"So, what do you say?" Zero said, sipping his wine. "Lux Vera using Templar resources in trade for my own brand of First Civilization tech?"

-*IV*-

_**West Indies Sea**_

A few days after Edward's apparent epiphany we set sail in the Edward's ship, the _Jackdaw_, for the Assassin's home, a small ancient city known as Tulum. Edward described it as a beautiful jungle paradise with huge white stone structures built into the cliffs, the Mayan pyramids draped in overgrown vines and a small village hidden in a cluster of ruins. He spoke in a bittersweet tone though. Clearly something had happened there that he wasn't too fond of.

"Somehow I feel like you're not telling us something," Terra said.

Edward, hands on the wheel, looked at him strangely. "Aye, I am avoiding things," he said. "I'm trying not to dwell on the past."

"Kind of hard not to dwell on the past," I shouted from the bow of the ship. "When it's just you, Adé and us four on this ship! What happened to your crew?"

Edward looked away slightly, then sighed. "It was four years ago. A man named Bartholomew Roberts and I had found a temple called the Observatory. I assume Ah Tabai's told what it does?" We all nodded, Edward continuing solemnly. "Roberts showed me what it could do, had me believe we could become masters of the seas. And then he left me for dead. I escaped, finding my crew had mutinied and abandoned me. Roberts then handed me into the Royal Navy. I was only kept alive for so long because the Templar's wanted me to tell them where to find that cursed temple."

I looked on as the man quietly reflected his old life. One that evidently caused him to lose everyone he cared about, that much was clear. I took the liberty of exploring the brig as it blissfully sailed across the ocean, the heat of a Caribbean spring carried on the sea breeze. The _Jackdaw_, despite not seeing its captain for nearly four years, was remarkable well kept.

When we weren't needed for altering the sails, which Edward was mercifully patient in teaching us, the captain had us scrubbing everything to meticulously high standard. The ship's hull was very well armoured and reinforced with iron plating. At the front was a powerful iron naval ram, flanked on either side by four cannons which apparently fired chain shots that were designed for destroying a ship's masts. On either side of the ship, spread between the main and gun decks, were twenty-three broadsides each. At the stern were two swivel guns, and, to top it off, were two mortar cannons at the bow to add more firepower to the juggernaut of a ship. Edward had boasted he could take down men-o-war with this vessel and, if I'm honest, I wasn't surprised.

As day passed into evening Adéwalé took over the piloting of the ship whilst Edward had a drink and some bread and cheese.

"So," I said, scooting up to him and taking a piece of bread for myself. "You gonna tell us what happened to everyone?" Edward looked at me, unwilling. I sighed. "Look, like I said. Bad things happen. But you learn from them. I mean...take them for example." I pointed at Aqua, Terra and Ven as they played tag on around the ship. "They had unspeakable things happen to them, but they don't let it bother them. They don't let the past rule them, and you shouldn't let it rule you. Talking about it helps."

Edward looked at them and sighed. "I suppose you're right. Oi! You three! Come over here a moment!"

Aqua and the others did so and Edward took us into the Captain's cabin. Nautical maps lay everywhere and most of the cabin lay empty. Edward picked up the maps and threw them to one side with a bitter "shan't be needing them now". He pulled up a few chairs and motioned us to sit.

"My quest for the Observatory was created by my own shameless greed. I wanted to go back home to Wales a rich, well off man. Yet, looking back now. I had all that. The Flying Gang we called ourselves, lived with hope of being free many not bound by class. That was what made pirates special, class didn't come into it. You worked for what you got, you _earned_ it."

Edward looked sadly at his drink. "We had a dream. a democracy, ruled by the people and not the empires." He smiled wistfully, holding his hands up to emphasize it. "The People's Republic of Nassau!" Edward chuckled, sad and bitter. "I didn't believe in it like I should have and, in hindsight, it was by far the best idea that we had at the time. Could've inspired the world to actually think, inspire King George, King Philip and King Louis to actually _listen_ to their people for once. Lest poor men like Adé suffer for merely existing..."

"What happened to Nassau?" Aqua softly.

Eddie shook his head, tears forming in his eyes. "There were seven of us to govern it. Ben Hornigold was the only one to truly believe in it, heart and soul. I admire his idealism but...the Templar's tastes were sweeter. Ed Thatch, or 'Blackbeard' as the navy called him, wanted to, but I fear he'd been a pirate for so long he didn't know any better." Edward sighed, biting back tears. "I watched them cut him down like an animal. Charles Vane saw the Republic as an excuse to do what he wanted, Jack Rackham was only interested in his next bottle. Mary was only a pirate in name, you know where her loyalties lied. Jack Sparrow had his own problems at the time, and from what I hear is in even more bother now than he's ever been in."

By this time Edward's face and gone read, his breathing shallowed. His hands were gripped firmly on his tankard, but they shaking badly. He was very much sobbing now. "I was only interested in being rich enough to never work or rob again. We pissed it all away in two years..."

"Easy, Edward," Adé said from the doorway as Aqua comforted the broken pirate captain. "You were to blame for all the misfortunes that happened. You weren't to know that Ben would turn traitor, or that Rackham would mutiny and Vane would go mad. You weren't to know what the British would do to Thatch in Charles-towne."

Edward leaned back slightly, breathing slowly. After calming down he smiled at Adé. "I'm not an easy man to call a friend, am I?"

"To fight beside a man so driven by personal gain and glory is a hard thing, Edward. And I have come to feel the Assassins - and their creed - a more honourable cause. Have I been unfair?"

Edward shook his head. "No. For years I've been rushing around, taking whatever I fancied, not giving a tinker's curse for those I hurt. Yet here I am..." he stretched his arms out wide. "With riches and reputation, feeling no wiser than when I left home. Yet, when I turn and look at the course of run...here's not a man or woman I love left standing."

I gently took Edward's hand. "It's not too let to make amends."

"Aye, I know. And I'm hoping Ah Tabai would have audience with me once more, that he would give me guidance so that I may help and save what little friends I have left."

* * *

**A/N: **Next chapter. The Keybearers and Edward dock at Tulum and fight off the Spanish, and the Keybearers start to learn that they can't save everyone.


	31. 30) Under Attack

**6/11/15**

**Strength for Paris and all of France.**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**30: **Under Attack

_**Tulum, Yuccatán Peninsula**_

**(Dance to the Death- KH 2.5 OST)**

The _Jackdaw _docked on a small beach. Sure enough, Tulum was a beauty to behold, a piece of ancient history frozen in time. Huge white ruins, decrepit but still beautiful, rose out of the ground and crawled up the cliffs and the mountains. At the base of a large pyramid was a small village built into the trees, working with nature and not against it. The only thing to break the peace were the flames and the dead bodies strewn everywhere. The seven of us quickly left the ship and ran up the beach. As we got closer to the carnage I could see several Assassins fighting off soldiers in yellow and...

"Heartless!" Aqua shouted.

"On it!" Terra said, slamming into a group of Pirates with a powerful quake.

"Jaysus, Adé!" Edward shouted as he pulled out his dual swords to fight an Air Pirate. "What happened here?! What are this things?"

"You happened here," the Assassin replied as he killed a Cannon Gun. "The damage you caused here six years ago has not been undone. The Templars regularly raid Tulum and bring the monsters with them."

"How have you coped?" Terra asked as she fought of a Lance Soldier.

"We haven't. The raids are relentless, every raid leaves us with less people and the monsters never go until all the Templars are killed."

I gave a wry chuckle. "That's Heartless for you. Can't be kill unless you kill the source of the blight."

We fought our way up the hill, slaying every Heartless in the way. It was futile, I know that, but the sooner we got to the Assassins the sooner we could kill the source. As we pushed up the hill we quickly got caught up with the Templar soldiers. Soon the sound of Heartless screeching was replaced by the ringing of metal and Spanish insults. While Edward and Adé were very quick to kill them I noticed that Aqua, Ven and, in particular, Terra were reluctant to do so.

"Hey," I said, blocking and punching one of the soldiers on the face. "What's up?"

"These soldiers are very difficult to knock out, that's what!" Terra replied as a he and Ven combined wind and earth magic into a powerful sandstorm.

"So er..."

"No," Aqua said sternly, kicking a big one in the crotch. "We are not doing that, that's how Xehanort started."

"I get that, but I don't think we have a choice!" I yelled back, sinking into a pool of darkness and shooting out onto a burly soldier with an axe, knocking him out.

"But what if..." Terra protested.

"I know what you're scared of Terra!" I shouted bitterly. "**I know**, alright? I **understand, but** right now we don't have a choice! There's no Organization XIII here to usurp the Templar's on this island. Kill the source, **kill the blight!**"

**(End Dance to the Death)**

I felt a hand touch me. Instinctively a swung round, but my swipe was stopped by the same arm. It was Ah Tabai. "Calm yourself, child," he said softly, looking over at the Eraqus' students. "I will discuss this Xehanort with you later." Ah Tabai turned to Edward. "There is still time to make amends for this, Captain Kenway."

"Mary..." Edward said quietly. "Before she died she asked me to do could by her. To sort out the mess I'd made. Can you help me?"

"Mary was fond of you," the Assassin replied, beckoning Edward to follow him. "She saw something in your bearing that gave her hope that you would fight with us one day."

"Ah...hey!" I yelled, chasing them. "Can I come too? I want to know...more."

Ah Tabai merely nodded, turning back to Edward. "So what do you think to our creed?"

The Creed. Nothing is true, everything is permitted. Ah Tabai had spoken of it on our trip to Kingston. A confusing thing, it seemed contradictory in itself. I couldn't get my head around it. I'm not good with riddles.

"Miss Shade?"

"A-ahm!" I stammered snapping to attention. "T-That...well...hmm...I guess it's a statement of the world? Like...the truth of the world changes over time with something. And, with everything being permitted, something like slavery, that's horrific on my world, is a boon to others. Yeah...a statement on the state of the things."

"I see," Ah Tabai said, not giving hints on whether I was right. "And Edward."

"It's hard to say," Edward admitted. "For if nothing is true, then why believe anything. And if everything is permitted...why not chase every desire."

"Why indeed?" Ah Tabai chuckled.

"It may be...that this is only the first step in wisdom and not its final form."

"That's quite a step up from the Edward I met many years ago."

The mentor picked up a small pouch that was propped against a wall, handing them to the former pirate. Edward pulled out a few rope darts, inspecting them. I shuddered at the damage they could do.

"So what do you think?" Ah Tabai asked.

"It will take some getting used to," Edward replied, putting the pouch on his belt.

Suddenly an explosion rocked the island, making us suddenly aware that we were still in a warzone. Out of the nearby forest Ven came running, stopping by the edge. "Shade, Edward, Ah Tabai! We need help!"

I ran to Ven, noticing the arm with his hidden blade had specks of blood over it. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

Ven nodded. "Yeah. We went with Adé to kill the Templar captain, but another ship showed up, then the Heartless became more aggressive. Tulum's being hit pretty hard on the other beach."

Edward and Ah Tabai came up behind us, Ah Tabai cursing in his native tongue. "This is the second attack this month. I should have moved this village years ago."

"I brought this upon you years ago," Edward said. "I'll stand with you now."

Ah Tabai glared at him. "It will take more than a few favours before you can call yourself a true Assassin, Edward"

"One thing at a time, mate," Edward replied with a small laugh.

"Under attack once more," Ah Tabai sighed with a shake of his head. "Come."

We followed him into the forest. As we ran through I saw the path littered with dead soldiers and injured Assassins. I felt my stomach churn at the level of violence and irony stench of blood that filled my nostrils. It was awful to see.

Aqua and Terra were little further up. By their feet were dead soldiers and blood splattered the Keybearers clothes. Aqua looked to be in partial shock and Terra looked as though he was blocking the thoughts with more fighting. Both of them had swiftly mastered the hidden blade, judging by how efficient they took down pair of axe soldiers.

"Hey!" I said coming up to the pair of them. "How are you holding up?"

"O-Ok...I think," Aqua said, looking at the bodies beneath her.

"The ship's just up ahead," Terra said. "But it's guarded by several Battleships."

"Ah. Them," I sighed.

Battleships were a large powerful Emblem Heartless. Shaped like a small galleon with a small pirate captain for a head, it flew around using a propeller in the top its mast, ramming you, firing off energy balls, throw bombs at you and generally acts like a dick. And there was more than one! Yay!

We stormed on to the beach, finding Adé and the Assassins struggling against the Templars and the Heartless. The others and my quickly leaped into action, Aqua using magic to funnel the Battleships into one spot where Ven and I quickly went to work crippling the Heartless, striking their masts and cannons to weaken them. When they were sufficiently injured Terra using Zantetsuken to slaughter them. Everyone paused for breath until the Spanish brig moored to the rocks started firing on us.

"Edward, kill the Captain!" Aqua shouted. "It might make the others scatter."

Edward nodded and ran into the bombardment, sticking to the walls and the shadows. He climbed up a tree like a monkey and ran through the branches with the agility of a cat. Edward came to the branch over hanging the oblivious Spanish captain. Slowly and silently Edward pulled out a rope dart and threw it at the mine. The rope wrapped tight around the captain's neck and Edward jumped off the branch, pulling...

"Oh, my Cosmos!" Aqua shouted, looking away.

"That was...wow..." Terra said, dumbfounded.

"That was disgusting," Ven said, his face contorting in disgust.

I stifled a small laugh.

As soon as word went out that their captain was dead the Spanish quickly packed up and fled, taking the Heartless with them.

"You have strength and spirit," Ah Tabai said. "The five of you have our thanks. You are welcome here."

"Thank you, Sir," the five of us said in unison.

"We'll rest here for a time," Edward said. "If we may."

Ah Tabai merely smiled and nodded.

-*IV*-

After the Templar captain had been killed everyone regrouped at the village. Ah Tabai told Edward to help Adé and the Assassins to start rebuilding, then he pulled the four of us aside, into a sheltered Mayan pyramid.

"This man, Xehanort..." Ah Tabai said slowly. "He was like a Templar?"

"I-I guess..." Aqua said slowly. "He did horrible things purely so he could control all of creation."

"And you killed him?"

"We had no choice!" Terra said quickly.

"He was evil," Ven added quietly. "He had to die, otherwise more people would be in danger."

I sat curled up in a corner. "We thought his death would bring us peace. Seems all we feel is regret..." I gave Ah Tabai a fearful look. "Xehanort started killing in the name of the greater good. Killed his entire Keyblade Order, save their master." I gave a small nod in Aqua's direction. "And he kept killing. And then he got clever. Manipulated people into doing his dirty work for him. And..." I sighed, looking at the concern on Aqua's face, the worry on Ven's and the outright fear on Terra's. Even I was holding a lot of emotion back with this. "We don't want to end up like that," I told Ah Tabai firmly.

Instead of harsh lecture, the Mentor instead sat down with us. "If your treatment of killing was as callous as you seem to believe it is I would be very concerned. The fact that you feel regret is proof that you are not like that man. The Keyblade Order and the Assassin Brotherhood are very similar in a lot of respects. Though you may spend most of your time fighting Heartless you will encounter people like our Templars. People like Xehanort and this Zero that you are searching for. And when you kill them you will feel regret.

"And the regret will grow with each person that comes to replace them. Though you do not know it, you four, as Keybearers, have chosen to shoulder the responsibility of the Realm of Light and with it the regret of the deaths that will occur because of it. And you _will _feel it. _That _is what makes you Keybearers and that is what makes us Assassins."

His words, though they stung, rung true. He had a point. I could see that the others agreed. Ah Tabai smiled at us. "It will not be an easy thing to forget, and the moment you forget the regret you feel is when the problems start. By all means, learn to cope with it. But _never _forget it." He motioned to Eddie as he walked with Adé, helping the wounded. "As Captain Kenway has realized."

Terra nodded slowly. "Yeah...Never thought I'd feel bad for that maniac," he said with an ironic chuckle.

I smiled, but I couldn't help but feel like Ah Tabai didn't understand _my _worries. I touched my shirt, above the ugly, purple scar on my left breast. Where Xehanort had cut me open...I thought slowly about what it represented and I promised myself I wouldn't become what the scar represented.

-*IV*-

Edward watched the setting sun and sighed. He heard rustling in the grass behind him. Turning quickly he saw Aqua walking up to him. She had a small, soft smile on her face. Edward smiled back, noticing the direction came from. Anne was sat against a tree, an empty bottle in her hand.

"I know how you feel, Edward," Aqua said quietly. "Despite how harsh I can be, I understand what it's like to lose everyone in the blink of an eye. Arguable it's _why _I'm as hard as I am."

Edward chuckled. "What? You weren't always a cold woman?"

"Not always," Aqua said, laughing.

"Hey, you smiled at me!" Edward grinned. "That's my second victory today!"

"Don't push it," Aqua smirked.

The former pirate shook his head then looked at Anne. "How is she...?"

"She's a strong woman, but..." Aqua said with a sigh. "She's not invincible."

Edward closed his eyes, swallowing a sigh. He made her way up to her vacant body, standing beside her. She didn't notice him until the last second, when she suddenly looked up at him. "Edward..." she said quietly, voice hoarse from crying.

"I'm sorry..." Edward said, fumbling for the right words. "For your loss..."

Anne looked away, staring sadly at the grass as it swayed in the gentle breeze. "If I'd have stayed in the prison they'd have taken him from me. But he'd still be alive. Maybe this is God's way of saying I'm not fit to be a mother yet. Drinking. Cursing and...fighting like I do..."

Edward looked her, pushing himself off the tree. "You are a fighter, aye," he smiled, trying to cheer her up, crouching in front of her. "In prison I'd stories of...the infamous Anne Bonny and Mary Read taking on the King's navy together. Just the pair of you."

Anne smiled appreciatively. "It's all true," she replied. "And we would've won that day if Rackham and his lads weren't in the hold, passed out from drinking." She leaned back as Edward sat beside her, a lump forming in her throat. "Edward...?"

Edward slowly looked at her, sorrow filling him as he watched her fit back tears. Anne bit her lip. "Everyone's gone, aren't they? Rackham, Thatch...and the rest. I miss them so, rough as they were." Anne turned her head to Edward, the former pirate sat with his knees against his tight chest. "Do feel it? That hollow, empty feeling inside, like..."

"I do," Edward said, staring at Anne. He couldn't bear to look her in the face. "Devil curse me, I do."

Anne took his hand as he looked away. He was grateful, but in his mind was one thing.

_No more_.

* * *

**Next chapter: **The gang had back to Jamaica in search of the first Templar target. Along the way they meet a certain pirate captain.


	32. 31) Return to Kingston

**13/11/2015**

**A/N:** It's five weeks until Christmas! Don't expect a festive chapter.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**31: **Return to Kingston

_**West Indies Sea**_

_**Shade**_

We were sailing toward a small island near Kingston known as Île à Vache, a French island off the coast of Haiti. It was agreed that Edward and the rest of us head there at different times; Ah Tabai, Adé, Anne and a small cell of Assassins arriving there roughly two hours before us. Before Ah Tabai left he gave us two portraits of two of our targets.

One of them was a man named Woodes Rogers. Governor of the Bahamas and renowned for his ultimatum against pirates (accept the King's pardon and return to Britain penniless but free, or be hanged by the neck until dead) Rogers was a high class politician from affluent seafaring family who worked in the Royal Navy and as a privateer against the French in his youth. The Governor was about have a leaving party in Kingston, King George apparently not being too happy that pirates were still hassling the British.

The second target was Laureano de Torres y Ayala, an elderly noble from Havana twice governor of Cuba. He was Grandmaster of the Templars in the Caribbean, plutocrat and wished to use the Observatory to bring the Spanish, British and French empires to their knees with blackmail. Though he was nearly seventy-seven years old we knew he had to die for this world to be safe.

Our final target was Bartholomew Roberts. Aside from the fact that he'd thoroughly pissed us and the Assassins off, his title of Sage was the primary concern. No one quite knew why the Sage was born but Roberts wasn't the first apparently, which means he certainly won't be the last, and his ability to open the Observatory meant that he had to be kept away from the Templars.

"If he is not willing to cooperate with us," Ah Tabai said. "Then he has to die."

"That's...drastic," Ven noted.

"Not really," Aqua said. "The Observatory is just one known Precursor site on this world. Even if we destroy the Observatory..."

"There might be others that can be opened with his DNA," Terra finished.

We arrived at Île à Vache late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set. Ah Tabai soon came aboard with Adé and Anne, the three talking privately in the captain's cabin. The four of us stayed on deck, waiting.

"Hey, why do you think Zero's here?" I said after a while, flexing my wrist and making my hidden blade pop in and out.

Terra, sat by the railing, looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Well...Why, of all worlds, come here?"

"That's..." Aqua said. "Actually a valid point."

"The Observatory?" Ven suggested.

Terra nodded. "It's no lie that Zero wants as much Orinexus tech as possible. D'you reckon that this...First Civilization and the Orinexus are the same thing? Roberts mentioned the Keyblade War after all."

"I'd put a good guess on it," Aqua said. "But I don't think blackmail is Zero's style. Zero either outright fights you, preaches or manipulates from the shadows."

"Manipulates..."I said quietly. "Oh...oh, no..."

"What is it?" Ven asked.

"Lux Vera is only a thousand strong at most," I said. " But the Templars...they're in their millions on this world. They can be anyone. They have the resources to back up the numbers. And, if the Orinexus is this world's First Civilization, they have plenty of knowledge on that to benefit him."

"It's not the technology he wants, it's an alliance," Aqua gasped in realization. "He gets an army and the Templars get full access to Lux Vera's technology."

"The Assassins can get rid of Zero's representatives after we've gone, but we need to kill Torres before he can pitch the idea to the other Templars," Terra said grimly.

We all nodded silently. At that moment Edward and the others came out of the cabin and headed to the wheel.

"I know my targets by sight well enough," Edward said. "But how will we find them?"

"We have spies and informants in every city," Ah Tabai replied. "Visit our bureaus, and the Assassins there will guide you."

"Well that sorts out Rogers and Torres," Aqua said as we joined them. "But Roberts won't be near a city. It could take months to find him..."

"Or years," Ah Tabai.

"We don't have the luxury of years," Ven said.

"No. But, should your own quest on this world take priority, Captain Kenway is a man a talent and quality. However, I am confident that the five of you can find and end him."

The four of us smiled. "We won't let you down," I said, saluting.

Ah Tabai smiled back. Edward chuckled and shook Ah Tabai's hand. "Thank you. For everything."

The Mentor merely nodded and returned to his ship with Adé. Before they left Adé turned to us. "If you feel at loss," he said with a faint smile. "Don't be afraid to ask your new quartermaster for aid."

Edward grinned, glancing at Anne who was leaning on the balcony, red hair dancing in the breeze. "Quartermaster," Edward said. Anne stood and turned to us. "What's our present course?"

"Due west, Captain," she replied. "If it's Kingston we're still sailing for."

"It is indeed," Edward smiled. "Call out, Miss Bonny."

Anne nodded and turned her head to the crew Ah Tabai had given us. "Weigh anchor and let fall the courses!" she shouted, making us jump into action. "We're sailing for Jamaica!"

Needless to say, we didn't need to be told twice.

-*IV*-

_**Kingston **_

We docked in Kingston the next day, setting out to find the Assassin Bureau. We slowly made our way through the winding streets. There were a lot of guards out on patrol and several smarmy, stuck up nobles in elegant dresses and coats were mulling about, heading to a large plaza in the city. No doubt for Woodes Rogers' party.

We were stood off to the side, casually observing the public when something caught my ear. "What's that sound?" I asked.

"What sound?" Aqua asked.

Edward merely closed his eyes and listened, turning his head sharply to the left. "Swords. Come on!"

We dashed through the streets, annoying everyone in it. We weaved through the wooden houses, eventually coming across several butch, muscular men clashing swords with a tanned man with a moustache and long, dark brown hair in dreadlocks.

Edward merely sighed at the sight.

Casually he strode up to the muscled men, had a quiet word with them and gave them each a pouch of money. He then turned to the man. "What the devil have you got yourself into now, Jack?" he hissed.

"What?" the man slurred. "Can't a man have an honest game of Liar's Dice anymore?"

"If there's one I wouldn't call you, it's honest," Edward smirked, before the pair hugged.

The man, Jack, was a staggering tall man with dreadlocks decorated with various beads. Even his dreadlocked beard had them. On his head was a battered tricorn hat under which was a red bandanna, with a small beaded ornament ending in a silver coin on it. He wore brown boots and dark sailor's pants. His cutlass was on his left hip and held in place by a black strap that went over his black shoulder and his brown belt covered a large white piece of cloth that wrapped around his waist, on which was a large compass. His faded white shirt exposed his chest and over that was a black jacket and long captains coat.

"Friends, this is Jack Sparrow," Eddie said, introducing us.

"_Captain _Jack Sparrow," Jack corrected.

The four of us thought for a moment.

"Oh, you're the guy that Sora talked about!" Ven said.

"See, I _am _well known," Jack said to Edward smugly.

"Oh, yeah...constantly reeked of booze," I said.

"Unreliable," Terra added.

"Deceitful," Aqua said. "And I thought he'd be more handsome."

Jack's face fell, making the four of us laugh. Edward chuckled, patting Jack on the back. "They're only joking, Jack."

"I should hope so," Jack replied. "So, what brings you to Kingston? On the trial of more Templetons?"

"Templars," Edward corrected. "And, _yes_. Only this time I won't make the mistake of letting them live."

"And should you find this magical temple...you sure you don't want to use it? We could be excellent partners, you and I."

"Appreciated, Jack, but no," Edward replied. "I've seen what the Observatory can do, and my time in Port Royal has made me realize that that power shouldn't be held by anyone." Jack started to protest but Edward shouted him down. "Friend _or _foe. That power can't be held by mortal men, _especially _the likes of the Templars."

"S'fair enough," Jack slurred. "But, I have a proposition of my own. I'm searching for a treasure, supposedly makes one immortal."

"I'm sorry, Jack," Edward replied. "But those days are behind me."

"Fair enough," Jack laughed. "What were your names?" he asked, turning to us.

"Shade, Aqua, Terra and Ven," Aqua said. "And seriously, Sora has said good things about you."

Jack smiled and nodded. "A pleasure, m'lady. May our paths cross on the open seas."

And with that he strolled off.

"He _does _reek of booze, though," I said when he was out of earshot.

The others murmured in agreement.

-*IV*-

After meeting with Anne again we headed for the Assassin Bureau. The Bureau wasn't so much a building, more of a collection of tables snugly hidden between four buildings. The bureau was run by a dark-skinned man that Edward introduced as Antó. Antó's outfit was similar to Ah Tabai and Adéwalé's; loose and sleeveless, with leather armour and around his wrists shoulders and chest. He also wore sandals and shorts, with the majority of his Assassin robes being faded white and red.

"Captain Kenway," he said with a smile. "Are these new recruits?"

"Antó, I'd like you to meet Anne Bonny, my quartermaster, and Shade, Aqua, Terra and Ven. They're Keybearers and are helping search for Roberts."

"I see," Antó said, nodding slightly. "A pleasure."

"Likewise," Terra said, shaking his hand.

"You have something for me?" Edward asked.

Antó's face turned serious. He nodded. "The present whereabouts of the Templar Woodes Rogers. He's attending a small political function, so do it clean."

"Word is King George is calling Rogers back to London."

"Aye, not too happy with his progress in Nassau."

"Too many pirates roaming about, from what I hear," Aqua chuckled.

"I wonder what gave him that idea?" I laughed.

Antó gave a small laugh. "You'll need a disguise to fool the powderheads at this party. I suggest the visiting diplomat, Ruggiero Ferraro. He's been on our list for some time."

"Understood," Edward nodded, before handing him a letter. "Will you send this to England for me?"

"Aye, a ship leaves tomorrow."

"Caroline Scott-Kenway. Hawkins Lane. Bristol."

Antó nodded, then looked over Terra and Ven. "You two will pose as guards, pretend to be Edward's escort, oversee the assassination and cover Edward's escape." Then he turned to Aqua and I. "The Assassins in Kingston own a dress shop for disguises. I trust Anne will help you find your fit?" Anne nodded. "Infiltrate the party and lead Rogers to Edward."

"And...how will we do that?" Aqua asked.

"With your womanly wiles, of course."

"You mean...flirt?" I asked.

Antó nodded. Great, the one thing Aqua and I sucked at. Tonight was going to be a long one.

* * *

**Next chapter: **The assassinations begin in **Death of a Governor**.


	33. 32) Death of a Governor

**19/11/15**

**A/N: **I'm gonna try and get a chapter up on my birthday. I'm going to be 21 in two weeks. God, I feel old.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**32: **Death of a Governor

_**Kingston, Jamaica**_

_**Shade**_

"I suddenly feel at a horrible disadvantage," I said as Anne measured my bust.

"Keep your arms out straight," she said quietly. "Ok, I've got them, I'll be back in a second."

As Anne hurried into the store room I watched Aqua get into a corset. _Very _reluctantly get into a corset.

"Aah!" she hissed as the shop's owner, an elderly Assassin, tightened it.

"Having fun?" I asked with a smirk.

Aqua shot a glare, taking shallow breaths. "Ahh! Why do these things exist?"

"Because men think a woman has to have a certain figure," the owner said dryly.

"I see some things never change," I laughed.

"Indeed! Aah!"

"There, all done," the owner said, taking an elegant blue and purple dress of a hanger.

"Haaa..." Aqua breathed.

"Oh, grow a pair," I chuckled.

"The sooner this is over, the better," Aqua said as she got into her dress, strapping her hidden blade in her sleeve.

"And finish," the owner said. "My, you do look beautiful, Miss Aqua."

"I feel...frumpy," Aqua sighed, unimpressed. I stifled a giggle.

"Right," the owner said, turning to me. "Your turn."

-*IV*-

_**Assassin's Bureau**_

"You both look very dashing," Aqua giggled when she saw Terra and Ven in their soldier uniforms.

"Shut up," Terra said. "Frumpy."

"That was low."

Terra stuck his tongue out in response.

Antó joined us with Edward. The former pirate was dressed in a fine red coat with gold trim with his Assassin robes underneath and looked cleanly shaven. "Well, don't you two ladies look lovely," he chuckled.

"Don't you start," I said quickly. "Couldn't you have put in a _little _more effort?"

Edward laughed. "Anne will be waiting for us on the Jackdaw once this is over with. Hopefully Rogers knows the location of Roberts."

"Dip this in his blood," Antó said, handing Edward a white cloth. "Return it here when the deed is done."

Edward nodded and the five us headed to Rogers' party, Ven and Terra leading the way. The party was being held in a plaza at the centre of town, draped with banners and fancy fabrics. We followed a group of stuck up rich folk that were chatting about Rogers and how much of shame it was that he was leaving the Caribbean. Pah.

Terra and Ven took up the spare posts at the entrance while the guard's captain stop us. "And who might you be?"

"_Buon pomeriggio_," Edward send in his best Italian accent. "Forgive the lateness of my arrival. I am Ruggiero Ferraro."

The captain grunted. "And these too?"

"They are...my nieces, _Signore Rogers_ allowed me to bring them."

The captain eyed the three of us slowly. "Aye, Mister Ferraro," he said finally. "Not a problem."

The three of us made our way in, Edward stayed separate from Aqua and I. The pair of us mingled in with the crowds, making our way to Rogers.

"I hate this," I whispered as I smiled condescendingly at a noble man. "This dress is so uncomfortable!"

"I'm still wondering how women can breathe in corsets," Aqua grumbled, looking even more frumpy than I did.

"I actually don't mind the corset," I giggled.

"You wouldn't," Aqua agreed dryly. "Oh, there he is!"

I scanned the crowd, spotting our target. Dressed in fine silk and leather clothes was Governor Rogers. Frilly cuffs, leather boots, white fine trousers and a purple piece linen for a belt, a smart white dress shirt, black tie and brown waistcoat with a golden pocketwatch. Yes. Very upper class.

I hated him already.

To top it off his face was one of sheer condescendence for lower class. His chocolate brown hair was finely combed and, though his face was clearly flushed from alcohol, a huge mangle of scar tissue could be seen on his left cheek.

"Here goes nothing," I said with a deep breath.

The attempt was interrupted by Rogers banging on his wine glass with a fork. "Ladies and gentlemen, a toast to my brief tenure as governor of the Bahamas!" The people clapped in respect. I eyed Edward, who had put himself on a bench to avoid being spotted. Rogers laughed and continued. "For, under my watch, no less than three hundred avowed pirates took the King's Pardon and swore fealty to the Crown! And yet," he scoffed, slurring. "For all my successes, his Majesty has seen fit to sack me! And call him home to England! Brilliant! God bless the fucker! Therefore, hooray! Hooray for all the ignoble and ignorant _pricks_ who rule the world with sticks up their arses! Hooray!"

Rogers stepped down and made his way to us. I fanned myself, putting on my best smile for him. God, I felt so disgusting. When this was over I'm making the three of them promise that Riku never finds out. And was getting multiple baths when we were done.

"Ah, you two look like fine young ladies of the Orient!" Rogers exclaimed, walking up to us. "Tell me, is coloured hair the fashion trend there?"

"Um...it's catching on, yes," Aqua replied.

"_Ha!_ Fantastic!" Rogers said in drunken joy. "Tell me," he added in a hushed voice. "I haven't been too rambunctious, have I?"

"A-A little free," I said in adorable voice (I know, I beat the crap out of my drum). "But nothing to be hanged for."

"Why, how's this then?" Rogers said with a smarmy smile. "Soon all the monarchies of the world will be obsolete! And when that day comes, men like Torres and myself will reveal ourselves as the architects of their undoing."

"I'll undo you in a minute."

Was what I wanted to say.

What I actually said was "Wow, you're so bold!"

The pair of us took an arm each and walked him into the shade of the veranda.

"Do tell us more, Mr Rogers," Aqua said with a girlish giggle.

'_Kiss ass_,' I thought.

But Rogers evidently loved it when he was the centre of a woman's attention. "I brought those brutes in Nassau to heel! It was a cesspit of disease and lust and infamy. By God, I made better men and women out of that shantytown's inhabitants than Thatch, Vane and Hornigold ever did. Pour three quarters of my fortune into its restoration, and this is the thanks I get?! Unbelievable!"

I'll be honest, I tuned half of it out. "And how is Missus Rogers these days?" I asked out of the blue, hoping to curb his rant.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Rogers replied sharply. "And I don't intend to inquire further. We separated almost five years ago, and both our lives have been better for it."

"Forgive my curiosity, governor," I lied.

"Perhaps I'll be more candid later," he replied, staring at both of our somewhat exposed cleavage. "When the remainder of my reason has left me..."

Every nerve of my body burned in fury, and from the look on Aqua's face so were hers. I grabbed his hand. "L-let's sit down yes, tell us more about your wonderful work!"

We hurried him down the path to where Edward was sat. Aqua looked at him and nodded slightly. Quicker than a bullet, no sooner had we walked past, Edward shot up and stabbed Rogers beneath the lungs with his hidden blade. He turned quickly and sat him down. The pair of us stood over him, with Edward kneeled, propping him up.

"You used to be a privateer once," Edward said. "How is it you lack so much respect for sailors only trying to make their way in this world?"

"You couldn't possibly understand my motives, cretin!" Rogers replied with a gurgled snarl. "You, who've spent a whole lifetime dismantling everything that made our civilization _shine_."

"But I do understand," Edward said. "I've seen the Observatory, and I know its power."

"And you'd use that device to spy and blackmail and sabotage," Aqua said with a shake of her head.

Rogers looked at us weakly. "Yes, and all for a greaterpurpose. To ensure _justice_. To snuff out lies and seek truth."

Edward looked at the man appalled. "There is no one on earth who needs that kind of power."

"And yet you suffer the outlaw Roberts to use it!" Rogers countered quickly.

"No," Edward replied simply. "I'm taking it back."

"And if you tell us where he is, we'll stop him," I added.

Rogers looked over the three of us, laughing quietly. He quickly lunged forward, groaning in pain, catching the attention of those near us. "Here at the edge of a blade I find a friend in you at last, Edward," he smiled. "Principe, you mad bastards. Our best sources...say Principe."

Edward wiped the cloth in Rogers' blood and stood. "Now the hard part."

Screams quickly filled the plaza, along with cries of 'murder!' and 'vagabonds!'. Ven and Terra quickly led the party guests out with the other guards, Edward and the pair of us meshing with the crowd in panic. Thankfully no seemed aware of who killed Rogers, which made things a little easier.

Until...

"Hey!" the captain shouted. "You two aren't guards! Imposters! Seize them!"

"I knew it was too good to be true," Edward groaned, throwing down a smoke bomb.

Everyone erupted into coughing fits, while Aqua, Edward, Terra and Ven dashed off. I ripped the side of the dress, making it easier to run and started, turning a little and summoning some Shadows.

"Hold them off, and _no killing!_" I ordered. The Shadows looked at me. "Don't look at me like that, you eat later. Promise me!"

The Shadows collectively hissed in dismay but begrudgingly agreed. When the smoke cleared the guards rushed forward...and immediately recoiled in fear when they saw my Heartless.

"Demons!"

"The Lord is my shepherd! _The Lord is my shepherd!_"

I smirked and ran off, winding through the alleyways, then disappearing into a crowd, my heart racing with adrennaline. The few guards that had managed to get past quickly gave up when they couldn't find me and, with a huge grin, I made my way back to the Assassin's Bureau.

-*IV*-

Lambda watched the chaos from a nearby tower. Flashes of colour poured out of the plaza as that pirate-turned-Assassin and the Keybearers killed Woodes Rogers. Her face curled in disgust as the Keybearers and Assassin just _left_ the body. Despicable! They didn't even try to talk to Rogers either! No wonder Zero had said the Keybearers were inept for looking after the Realm of Light.

Lambda closed her eyes and prayed, begging Kingdom Hearts to welcome the Templar with open arms. Sadly, she contacted Zero. "My Lord?"

"Yes, Lambda?" Zero asked.

"I'm sorry to say...Woodes Rogers is dead."

"What? Why? _How?!_"

Lambda jumped in fright. "T-The Keybearers...and an Assassin, they killed him at his leaving party!"

"Damn!" Zero hissed. "Let me think..."

"They'll be coming after Mr Torres soon," Lambda said quietly. "I know it. Do you want me to kill them now?"

"No!" Zero said quickly. "No, if we start a public war with the Keybearers _before _we've found Talisman the Unity Plan will be put in jeopardy. The Keybearers still stopped Xehanort, they're held in high regard. We can't risk anymore suspicion on Lux Vera than there already is."

"What do we do?"

"I'll inform Torres of Rogers' death," Zero sighed. "If he dies, we might have to rethink our plans here."

"To what?"

"We still need the Templars on our side," Zero said, thinking out loud more than anything else. "I have come into contact with another Templar, governor of the...East India Trading Company, name of Cutler Beckett. Laureano favours him to Rogers. We can use him as our go-between. Where are the Keybearers headed now?"

"Principe, for the Sage."

"Right...return to Havana, I'll make stronger ties with Beckett but I need you to protect Torres until I've got Beckett's trust. Vincent and ADAM are following Sora's group so we know what they're doing. Hopefully we can still salvage this mission."

* * *

**Next chapter: **The return of Captain Jack Sparrow!


	34. 33) He's a Pirate

**06/11/15**

**A/N: **So a lot has happened this month. Yes, I started writing this fic early. No, _Pirates of the Caribbean_ won't be covered in this instalment. Updates after this probably won't happen until the New Year, but I'm going to try and write as much as a can, providing _AC: Syndicate, Fallout 4 _and _Rise of the Tomb Raider_ don't distract me _too _much.

Anyway, it was my birthday on the 15th! I'm 21! I'm old! And still not got the ability to shapeshift (fudge you God!1!1!). And, for my birthday, some friends took me to the Insomnia Gaming Festival in Birmingham! (The British one, not the American one) I met Jacksepticeye! He shook my hand! He's so skinny! And Irish! *^* I was a happy girl.

Anyway, chapter.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths and backgrounds. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**33: **He's a Pirate

_**West Indies Sea**_

_**Shade**_

We sailed from Kingston in early morning, hoping to get as much distance covered as possible during the day so we didn't have to travel much during the night. From what Edward had told us the trip across the Atlantic was a _very _dangerous run. Coupled with the fact that it could take up to nine weeks we ran the risk of Roberts disappearing before we even got there. To pass the time I joined in with the sea shanties while Edward had us all work the ship.

"I never sailors were this good at singing," Ven chuckled as he worked the rigging.

"I'd say they'd have plenty of time to learn it," Terra said.

"What I want to know is why Shade knows them," Aqua said dryly as she watched me dance with a guy.

"Eh, it's not that hard to remember," I laughed, dancing with one of the pirates. "O, my name is Captain Kidd/As I sailed, as I sailed/O, my name is Captain Kidd/As I sailed!"

"Oi, no dancing on the deck," Anne shouted, trying not to smile.

"Sorry!" I yelled back. "Oh...oh! Oh! I have one!"

I pulled out our little omnitool and started playing music from my personal playlist.

The crew jumped in shock as the music blasted out, coming round to inspect the device. Aqua groaned in frustration. "This is why we don't show them advanced technology!"

"Eh...they'll be fine," I grinned. "Alright guys, back to work! I'll teach you it if you're good enough."

They took one look at an annoyed Edward and hurriedly went back to their positions as I started to sing.

"Angels fall to the floor, like they would if I was Captain/Silver children she roared, I'm not the son of God/Somebody help me sing, can anybody hear me?/Liars and lovers come back tonight, we're gonna make a scene."

The next few hours passed by relatively quickly as I taught the crew the song. Edward soon warmed up, though I think he took the song's meaning personally. Hell, even Aqua joined in with a powerful contralto voice. Damn, she could sing. And it was nice to see her loosen up. She'd always been quite wound up since she came back from the Realm Beyond, and if this prophecy she saw was true then, frankly, I don't blame her. Terra seemed to appreciate it as well.

We were on the brink of leaving the Caribbean when the sound of cannon fire filled the sky. Edward turned immediately, spotting a large man o' war and a frigate, both flying Templar flags.

"Looks like we've got company," Ven said.

"I don't think they're too happy about Woodes Rogers," Edward chuckled, turning the ship. No sooner had we readied ourselves for a fight a thick fog rolled in, covering the ocean.

"This is bad Captain," Anne said. "What do we..."

"Shh..." Edward said, closing his eyes. His head turned sharply to the other side of Templar ships. "Something's coming..."

We tensed, bracing ourselves for a sudden attack. But it didn't come. Five minutes went by. Ten, maybe. Then Ven started to panic.

"Guys...I think I saw something in the fog..." he breathed.

The crew looked around. Sure enough a huge silhouette came in and out of the fog. Tattered sails atop tall masts, rigging snaking its way around the ship and huge hull that was enough to dwarf Eddie's little _Jackdaw_. Even the Templars seemed too scared to fire. We watched the ship circle around us. Waiting...anticipating.

**(He's a Pirate- Pirates of the Caribbean OST)**

Then the ship's cannons fired. Everyone braced themselves for impact...but it didn't come. Again the cannons fired, sending all three ships into panic. Then I realized something.

"It's not aimed..." I said slowly, watching the fog-ship ram the man o' war. "_Eddie!_ It's not aimed at us!"

Edward looked at me, then and the pitch black ship. A huge grin spread across his face. "All on hands on deck, help them take down the Templars!"

The stunned crew looked at each other in a mix of panic and confusion. Anne went to the wheel. "Well what are you waiting for?!" she yelled.

The crew rushed to their positions, turning the ship around and preparing the cannons. As the _Jackdaw _fired several mortars at the man o war the fog-ship circled the panicked frigate, ramming it and sinking it. I ran to Edward.

"Do you know who it is?" I asked him.

"Someone incredibly strategic or just lucky," Edward chuckled as the _Jackdaw _raced past the fog-ship. "Isn't that right, Jack?"

Jack, the pirate from Kingston, poked his head over the railing of the ship. "Edward! So good to see you, I was worried we were helping someone else."

"We didn't need any help," Edward laughed as the _Jackdaw _and the Jack's ship started to line up along the man o' war. "You remember what we did to _La Dama Negra_? _HMS Fearless _and the _Royal Sovereign?_"

"Ah, small fry compared to the prize I'm after, savvy?" Jack chuckled, heading back to the wheel.

The weakened man o' war's crew looked at us in panic as Jack and Edward's ships sailed alongside them, both firing a barrage of broadsides at it. The giant ship sank in a ball of flame.

-*IV*-

With the two Templar ship no longer in action the pirate ships sailed off. It felt good to actually _save _a person instead of killing a person and when we at the edge of the Caribbean islands Jack and Eddie dropped anchor before Jack joined us on the _Jackdaw_.

"I don't think I've ever seen her up close," Jack said as he swayed to us, running a finger on the railing and frowning. "I don't like it."

"It gets the job done," Edward chuckled.

"Aye, I can see that," Jack said as he inspected a cannon. "I prefer the elegance and speed of the _Black_ _Pearl _though."

"What's speed without the power to back it up?" Edward teased.

The four of us watched the two men argue over which ship was better. I didn't know much of the _Pearl_. We had only been told what Sora had seen when he was last here. And that was either against the _Pearl _when it was under the command of Captain Barbossa or when it was boarded by Heartless, Nobodies or pirates when Luxord was messing with the cursed Aztec gold. She looked impressive enough, but there was something about the _Jackdaw _I appreciated more.

"It's like watch two kids with bikes," Aqua said in dismay.

"Or when a guy shows his dad his new car," Terra said, watching the two men fight.

"'Look, Dad'," I chuckled. "I've caught a machine'"

"'Oh, look, honey'," Ven added. "'Our son's caught a machine'"

"'Mine's bigger than yours'," I said, smirking.

"'Let's not go there'."

"Good grief, I'm drowning in testosterone," Anne sighed, walking up to the brawling pair. "Alright, you two, knock it off! Edward, you're twenty-nine, for God's sake! And you..." she shouted, turning to Jack. "...How old _are _you?"

"That, my sweet, is one of the many mysteries of the world that shall remain as such," Jack replied, turning to Edward. "But seriously, are you sure you don't want to join me, mate? Have a hard time of it on me own, savvy?"

Edward looked at the drunk pirate, then his left hand. It had a large bandage wrapped around it. "What have you done to your hand?"

Jack looked at him, then us. "Ah...it's nothing, mate. Just a scratch."

"Somehow I don't believe you," Edward replied, arms folded.

"I'm serious, I fell on a knife a-and, well, you know how sharp they are."

**(The Kraken- Dead Man's Chest OST)**

I quietly snuck around the back of him, quickly pulling the bandage off, revealing a thick black spot. "Aha! Aw, it's just a black spot..."

"Shhhh! Not so loud!" Jack said quickly, looking around.

"Christ, Jack!" Edward shouted, grabbing his wrist and looking at the mark.

"Y'see...why I need the help?"

"Help?" Edward shouted, before speaking in a hushed voice. "How the hell do you expect me to help with _this!_"

"Well..."

"Um...excuse me?" Terra said. "What's the spot mean?"

Edward sighed. "There's a legend that if you've been marked by the black spot then you're going to die...and serve aboard the _Flying Dutchman _for eternity haunting the seas. I thought it was just a legend."

"But there _is_ another part to the legend," Jack said with a mischievous smile. "About a key. That leads to a chest..."

Edward backed away. "No. You can't...you can't possibly be serious!? That's just a legend."

"Like the legend of a magical temple that lets you see anyone in the world?" Jack asked.

Edward paced the deck of the ship, muttering and cursing. Finally he walked back up to Jack. "Look, mate, I'm sorry. This mission I'm on is more important at the moment. But...if things get bad you can count on me to lend a hand."

Jack nodded in understanding. "I appreciate that, mate." He turned to us, and bowed. "Lovely to see you young men and women again. Say hello to Zola for me!"

"We will," Aqua promised.

Jack grinned and hopped on the side of the _Black Pearl_, climbing up to the top. Shortly after we heard the _Pearl's_ anchor come up and she set off. Edward ran to the bow of the ship. "Jack!" Once again, Jack's head peeked over the side. Edward gave him a hesitant wave. "Good luck."

"Many thanks, mate!" Jack shouted back. "May this be the day you remember as they day you saved Captain! Jack Sparrow!"

We watched Jack sail away into the evening mist, while we headed off for Principe. I smiled in the sea breeze, looking into the deep Altantic waters. Then I saw something move, something _huge _and tentacle-y, a giant black eye staring at me as it thundered past in the direction of the _Black Pearl_. I blinked and shuddered.

It had to be my imagination.

A giant squid?

Ridiculous.


	35. 34) Death of a Sage

**23/12/15**

**A/N: **Hooray for horribly contagious skin infections! :D Happy late New Year guys.

You know...I'd ship Shade and Aqua. They make a cute couple. Cept Shade's with Riku. Ah, well.

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths, backgrounds, sexualities and gender identities. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**34: **Death of a Sage

_**Principe, Portuguese Colony of São Tomé and Prinicpe, Africa**_

_**Shade**_

I won't bore you with the details of our trip to Principe. I won't bore you with that time that Aqua beat the crap out of the cleaner boy for perving on her while she was asleep. Or that time we accidentally freed 500 slaves from the French using naught but a raccoon, a chess piece and a car. Or that time where Terra accidentally hanged himself in the rigging.

He got better.

The _Jackdaw _arrived off the coast of the small island, noticing several shipwrecks lining the water, all of them bearing the Portuguese flag. Clinging to the a piece of debris was a soldier dressed in blue and orange.

"Guys!" I shouted, climbing down the side of the ship. "I think this one's still alive!"

The four of us pulled the man aboard, Aqua immediately doing CPR on him. The man spluttered and coughed as he jolted upwards.

"Captain!" Anne shouted as she ran to us. "Here's one still kicking."

Edward followed, kneeling next to him. The soldier immediately fumbled for his sword in panic. "Easy, easy," Edward said calmly. "We're not here to hurt you."

"_Piratas!_" the soldier yelled.

"Of a sort," Edward admitted. "But we're not here for you. Do you speak English?"

The soldier stared blankly. Anne kneeled, speaking softly. "_Inglês_?"

The soldier gasped then nodded. "L-Little bit!"

"Who did this to you?" Edward asked slowly.

"B-Big _galeão_. C-Called...the er...er..._Royal Fortune_."

"Roberts..." Edward growled.

"_Sim!_ He...he attacked...no warning..." the soldier whimpered.

"You safe now," Aqua said, smiling warmly.

Anne stood. "Does anyone here speak Portuguese?" One man raised his hand. "Take the soldier downstairs, make sure he's alright." The man nodded and went with the soldier below deck. Anne turned to Edward. "What are you going to do?"

"With any luck Roberts is still on the island," Edward said. "I think it's time for a little payback."

We all nodded and Edward dived into the sea, swimming to the sandy orange beach of Principe.

-*IV*-

Edward climbed onto the beach and headed for the shade of a nearby palm tree. The small village of wooden shacks was crawling with Roberts' crew. With any luck that meant Roberts was still here. He had to be careful.

Keeping to the shadows, Edward snuck through the village, taking care not arouse suspicion. Anyone he killed he made sure to hide the body. Eventually, he found a hill to the small Portuguese fort at the top of the island. The hill was littered with the bodies of soldiers, Edward silently praying for each one.

The fort was surrounded by a wall made from thick, pointed wooden poles and the only entrance was guarded. Taking to the trees lining the other side of the path he moved to a branch overhanging the two guards, jumping down and assassinating both of them. The assassin made his way through the tents, avoiding the patrols and searching for Roberts. He called open his sixth sense, scanning the area for a speck of gold that would highlight his target.

There! By the cliff was the _Royal Fortune, _its mast peeking over the top,and Roberts, talking with two pirates. Edward made his move and ran to them.

"Why, who chases me now, eh?" Roberts laughed, pulling out his pistol. "Is it a spectre come to spook me? Or the gaunt remains of a man I sent to Hell?"

**Bartholomew Roberts**

**Sage of the Caribbean**

Roberts fired on Edward as his two bodyguards ran at him with muskets. Edward found himself preoccupied with them and could only watch helplessly as Roberts boarded the _Royal Fortune_. Edward stabbed one guard in the neck, pulling his musket away from him and stabbing the other guard with the bayonet. Edward ran to the edge of the cliff, watching the galleon sail away. Taking a deep breath, he dived into the sea.

-*IV*-

_**Shade**_

We had circled around the island for a time, waiting for Edward to come back or Roberts to attack. On the horizon were pitch black storm clouds. The Heartless in me couldn't help but feel like something was about to go horribly wrong.

Anne was piloting the _Jackdaw_. We'd found the _Royal Fortune _on the other side of the cliffs and figured it best to linger around the area in case something happened. Or at the very least we could be on hand in case Roberts escaped. And, as if on cue, the _Royal Fortune _took off. Terra grabbed a telescope.

**(Firefly- Arkham Origins OST)**

"Edward's at the top of the cliff, he's gonna jump!" he shouted.

"Right!" Anne shouted. "All sail! We need to pick up our captain."

The _Jackdaw _powered off, stopping by the cliff and allowing Edward to jump on the mast. Using one of its pulley hooks he flew down and took the wheel of the _Jackdaw_. The _Royal Fortune _snuck through a narrow gap between the cliff and a stack, firing off her cannons and blocking our way. Edward turned the _Jackdaw _to the open sea, tailing the _Royal Fortune_ relentlessly. The _Royal Fortune _fired off several mortars, causing the sea around us to shake. I felt spits of rain fall on my face. Looking out onto the sea I saw that the storm clouds had arrived, causing the sea to rock violently. Edward huffed and swerved the _Jackdaw _left, sneaking in behind the _Royal Fortune _as the sea opened up a little. The _Royal Fortune _sped up as the winds picked up sailing between Principe and a smaller island, but Edward wouldn't give up.

"Chase cannons, now!" he ordered.

Crew men ran down to the bow of the ship, firing off the chase cannons; two small iron balls attached by chains. They slammed into the stern of the _Royal Fortune _but didn't do that much damage. We soon came out to the choppy, roaring open water. The _Royal Fortune _made a bid to turn, when...

"Captain, crosstrees on the horizon!" Anne shouted.

I looked out into the storm as the ship rocked wildly. "Edward! Four British ships on the horizon!" I yelled, before looking back. "Oh, and another four," I groaned.

The _Royal Fortune _suddenly took its attention off us and started firing at the British fleet. That was when Ven came running down to me. "Oh, no..." he breathed.

"What?"

Ven turned, panicked. "Captain, we've got Spanish ships too!"

The colour drained from Edward's face briefly before he turned and moved in close to the _Royal Fortune_.

"This'll be a mess if we don't hurry," Anne said.

"Beats working behind a bar, doesn't it?" Edward laughed.

Needless to say in the chaos of the storm things took a turn for the worse. Both the British and the Spanish both wanting Roberts dead for their own reasons and neither wanted the other Empire to kill him. And while we would appreciate the help, the Spanish and the British don't seem to differentiate from the murdering _Royal Fortune _and the pirate hunting _Jackdaw_ and they seemed just as trigger with us and _each other_ as well as Roberts. When the Spanish realized that the British were here they split their fleet between Roberts and the them. The British, upon realizing the Spanish we here, began to focus on Roberts alone, forming a defensive ring around the _Fortune _to prevent the Spanish from firing on her.

Edward manoeuvred the _Jackdaw _through the Spanish fleet, taking care avoid the cannon fire from the ships and managed to get close to a British frigate. The _Jackdaw _ran alongside it, bombarding it with heavy shot, crippling the ship and breaking a hole in the blockade. The British pulled off and were now forced to deal with the Spanish's attempts at getting to Roberts. In the chaos Edward fired a set of mortars at Roberts' crippled ship, the once spectacular man o' war a broken mess of wood and fire. The mortars landed with a fiery explosion, destroy the main masts of the ship.

"Shall we sink his ship, Captain?" Anne asked. "We've a better than even chance."

"No," Edward replied. "There's a device Roberts has that needs taking, I'll have to board her myself. Anne, bring us in close, the Keybearers and I will board her and kill Roberts. You're in charge of the ship in my absence, be sure to keep the British and Spanish at bay."

"Aye, aye, Captain!"

Anne took the wheel and swerved the _Jackdaw _to the _Royal Fortune_, nudging the giant ship. The five of us jumped onto the wood and began to climb, trying hard not to be shaken off by the crashing waves or a stray cannonball. Edward was the first over, brandishing his two swords. We followed, entering our battle stances.

Roberts came down from the wheel, sword in one hand and a crystal skull in the other. "By jove, Edward Kenway!" he laughed. "How can I not be impressed by the attention you've paid me! May the best of we two sing praises of the second."

Edward ran at the pirate, clashing swords with Roberts. The pair danced around each other, Roberts perfectly blocking Edward's strikes. Edward growled and punched Roberts in the face. Roberts stumbled and growled.

"Heartless! Show yerselves!" he roared, raising his sword hand.

The crew groaned and shook, darkness enveloping them. In their places were several Pirates and Air Pirates. Terra looked at me.

"Can Heartless disguise themselves like that?" he asked.

"I-I...I don't know," I admitted. "But we don't have time for that, we can't let Edward get overwhelmed."

The others nodded and charged into the fray. Soon the deck was a violent frenzy of magic and blood. Aqua and I set to work on the Heartless while Terra and Ven helped Edward fight Roberts.

Roberts was a formidable fighter. He seemed to have the experience of a man years older than 40. It was like fighting Xehanort again, the skill at which he wielded a sword. Terra came swooping down with Ars Solum, striking Roberts from behind. Roberts growled and swiped at Terra, allowing Edward to striking with his hidden blade. Edward caught him but missed the neck.

Roberts roared and held up the crystal skull. A bright orange light shone from it, knocking everyone back.

I stumbled to me feet, fighting off the Heartless. "You need to get the skull off him," I told Aqua.

"What about the Heartless?"

"I'll deal with them, you need to stop Roberts!"

Aqua looked at me, then body slammed me into the ground as a cannonball came flying past.

"Be careful," Aqua breathed.

"Be quick," I said back.

Aqua got up and ran to Roberts, firing of several Waterga spells at him. I turned to the Heartless surround me.

"Now, we can do this the easy way," I said. "Or the **fun **way."

The Heartless looked at each other and charged me. I sighed. "Hard way it is then."

I threw myself into the Heartless firing off several Firagas at the monsters. Grabbing one by the head I kneed it then threw it at some Air Pirates, killing them. I pointed my Keyblade and fired off an Anima at them, killing them instantly. Then I turned and charged Roberts, grabbing him by the legs and pulling him over. The pirate threw me off and fired off the skull again.

"Do you have a plan?" Terra asked, landing next to Edward.

"Yes, but he needs a distraction."

"On it."

We charged him again while Edward waited for the opportune moment, watching Ven dancing around Roberts as I distracted him with several chaotic Chaos Orb spells. Aqua cast Blizzaga at his feet while Terra grabbed Roberts back, impaling him with his hidden blade.

"Edward, now!" Aqua yelled.

Edward nodded and threw a rope dart across the deck. The dart buried itself deep in Roberts' chest, a sharp groan coming from the pirate. Edward yanked Roberts to him, making the pirate fall to the deck. Edward quickly ran to him and stabbed him in the neck with his hidden blade. We slowly gathered around the man as he pulled himself around to face us.

**(End Firefly)**

"A merry life," he wheezed. "And a short one." Roberts' face curled into a satisfied smile. "How well I know myself." Then he turned to Edward. "And what about you? Have you found the peace you seek?"

Edward shook his head. "I'm not aiming so high as that. For what is peace but a confusion between two wars?"

Roberts laughed again. "Ah, you're a stoic then!" he smiled slightly, laying back and closing his eyes. "Perhaps I was wrong about you. She might have had some use for you after all..."

"Who's 'she'?" I asked.

"Oh, she who lies in wait," Roberts replied wistfully.

"Well that's just maddening unhelpful."

"_Entombed_. I had hoped to find her, to see her again. My beloved...To open the door of the Temple and hear her speak my name once more. Aita..."

"Talk sense, man," Edward snapped.

"I was born to soon," Roberts sighed. "Like so many others before."

Edward looked at us. I thought back to what Roberts had said on the_Small Bounty_ when we first met him. About Girans. Something told me that this man was thousands of years older than he looked.

Reincarnation, maybe?

"The skull, Roberts," Edward said, holding out his hand.

Roberts nodded and grabbed the skull, handing it him. As Edward stood Roberts grabbed his ankle.

"Destroy this body, Edward," Roberts ordered, looking...frightened. "The Templars...if they take me..."

And with that Roberts died.

Edward stared at his body before picking it up and slinging it over his shoulder.

"What do you reckon that was all about?" Terra asked.

"I don't think Roberts was all human," Edward said simply.

* * *

**Next chapter: **Shade and the others have a run in with Zero, while Edward hunts Laureano de Torres in **Havana: Lockdown**.


	36. 35) Havana: Lockdown

**17/01/15**

**A/N: **This was longer than I expected.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths, backgrounds, sexualities and gender identities. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**35: **Havana: Lockdown

_**Shade**_

We returned to Havana in search of two people; Laureano de Torres and Zero. Talks with Edward revealed that Havana was the Templars' main base in the Caribbean and if Zero had made alliances chances are he'd be there too. It was a gamble, but it might just pay off.

When we docked in Havana, our flag changed to the British flag to disguise the _Jackdaw_, we found a strange lack of people. Even more worry was the amount of soldiers patrolling the streets.

Us they wouldn't recognise, but Edward was worried.

Taking the crystal skull in a small satchel we headed off through the town. The skies were gray and the winds were picking up a little as we moved silently through the colourful streets. Havana was a far cry from Kingston. For a start, while Kingston looked like a fledgling colony with most buildings made from wood, Havana was a beautiful island paradise with buildings made from colourful stone, statues and monuments scattered around the squares. Even on this gloomy day it was plain to see the city's beauty.

Eventually we had to take to the roofs to avoid most of the patrols. Edward led us to where our contact was. The contact was a woman in her mid thirties. She had a charming smile despite a face that obviously gone through a lot of distress in her life. Her strawberry blonde hair was kept out of her eyes by a red bandanna and her outfit consisted of a loose thin white shirt that exposed her small cleavage and a large skull tattoo on her chest with a leather waistcoat over the top along with a small corset and colourful belts that held many pouches and more use than Sora's belt fetish. She wore men's trousers and brown leather pants, with a hidden blade attached to her wrist.

"Ah! Edward Kenway!" the woman said with a faint Scottish accent and big smile. "This must be the friendliest face you've seen since dropping anchour? Who are you friends?"

"Rhona, I'd like you to meet Aqua, Terra, Ven and Shade," Edward replied. "They've been helping me track down Laureano de Torres and Bartholomew Roberts these past weeks. Guys, this is Rhona Dinsmore, the local Assassin leader."

"Do they know about...us?" she asked.

"Bits and pieces," Aqua replied. "But we believe an enemy of ours has made an alliance with the Templars, which is why we've been helping Edward. We believe a man named Zero is in this city. He's our target."

Rhona thought for a moment. "Zero...is he a man with white hair?"

"Yes!" Ven replied. "Do you know where he is?"

"He and a girl with pink and blue hair have been hanging around Torres' mansion lately. I thought he was bad news but I haven't been able to find any information on him at all. And it's like he's constantly aware of everything and, from what my Assassins have said, he knows _everything _about the Assassin-Templar War. But he's hard to tail because he seems to know where we are. And when he doesn't he has that girl with him, I swear she has a sixth sense."

"That definitely sounds like him and Lambda," I said.

"Then we'd best get to it," Terra replied.

"Is Havana locked down on our account?" Edward asked.

"Aye," Rhona replied with a smirk. "Torres thinks there's someone coming after him.

Edward gave a wry chuckle. "He's not wrong..." He pulled out the crystal skull and inspected it. Rhona's nose curled.

"A manky looking thing...is that what I think it is?"

"Aye," Edward said pulling out a glass cube. "Watch." Slowly he put the cube into a hole on the skull's forehead. Out of it came the first person view of a cemetery . "Through the blood of the governor we can see through his eyes."

"...I'm not even going to ask when you got that," I said.

"That's...that's by the church!" Rhona gasped, pointing at the large church nearby.

Edward nodded and handed her the skull. "Keep this safe. Just in case."

"I'll be at the bureau," Rhona said, turning to the edge of the roof. "Good luck."

Then, with a dive, she was gone.

"Meet me back at the _Jackdaw_," Edward said. "Hopefully we can end this madness here."

We nodded and split up.

-*IV*-

We stuck to the rooftops, out of the way from the soldiers. Torres mansion was a large fancy house that took up half a district. It was surrounded by a large high peach coloured wall and patrolled by dozens of guards.

"How do you suppose we get in?" Terra asked.

We looked over the area. There were no citizens around so we could be a little freer with our tactics.

"Hmm...if the three of us can knock out the guards outside the gate..." she said. "Shade, you can use Dark Haste to slip under it, steal the keys for the gate and open it for us."

"And where d'you think I can just _find _the keys?" I asked.

Right on cue a man on the other side of the gate unlocked it, letting out someone that looked a lot like a deliveryman. Aqua glanced at me.

"...Ok, you win," I said quietly.

Aqua and the other jumped down, Terra and Ven keeping watch will Aqua snuck closer to the guards. From behind a basket she cast Sleep on them. I opened up a pool of darkness at the foot of the building I was laid on and jumped in, using it to dash under the elaborate iron gate. I looped around the guard and the inside before he had a chance to notice and burst out of it like an angry demon. Before he could muster a word and grabbed his head and smashed it into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Then I grabbed the keys and unlocked the gate.

"...Was that really necessary?" Terra asked when he saw the guard.

"He's still alive," I pouted.

"I know but...look at the crack in the wall!" he hissed.

I glanced at it. Eeesh...

"He'll...be alright," I said, brushing it off. The guard groaned. "See, he's ok. Now let's go before he wakes up."

The four of us dashed up to the house, surprised at the lack of guards in the mansion's grounds. We slowly made our way up the garden path, staying low and close to the wall. We came to a porch, the door open. We quickly snuck inside the building to find it...empty.

"Where is..." Aqua started.

"You should know that it's impossible to sneak up on me," Zero said from behind us.

**(The Master Vainglorious- Dr Who OST)**

We jumped and drew our Keyblades. Lambda, who was stood by Zero drew her swords in response. Zero put a hand out.

"But we can take them!" Lambda growled.

"Yes. And, what happens when their friends find out?" Zero replied. "Like I said, the Keybearers are considered heroes. We're the ones that have to prove ourselves to the Realm of Light first."

Aqua lowered _Stormfall_. "You're not going to kill us?"

Zero laughed. "Oh, no, I'm _definitely _going to kill you. But not yet. I have business to attend to first, and making Lux Vera the better option than...whatever the hell your Keyblade Order is supposed to be is higher up on the priority list. So you can lower you weapons."

We all looked at each other. "No, no, I know how this works," I said bitterly. "Tell her to back off. _Then _we lower our weapons."

"You heard them Lambda," Zero said cheerfully.

Lambda glared at me, but begrudgingly agreed. We lowered our Keyblades in response. Zero smiled and walked over to the table, pouring some wine. He offered us the bottle.

"No, ta," Aqua said.

Zero shrugged and put the bottle down then picked up his glass. "So, why are you here? Have you come to kill me?"

"If it's necessary," Terra growled.

"Oh, I like that," Zero chuckled. "_Veeery_ Xehanort."

Terra lunged, but Ven grabbed him before he could attack. "He's just trying to get to you," Ven said calmly.

Terra grunted and backed down while Zero watched with an oily smirk.

"Have you made a deal with the Templars?" Aqua asked.

"Yes," Zero replied simply.

Aqua, slightly taken aback by the honesty, continued. "Why?"

Zero took a sip. "Lux Vera has grown in number this past year. But we have yet to become a viable force off-world."

"What do you mean 'viable force'?"

"Look. I am a man of peace. But the sad truth is that, due the state of the Realm of Light, you need an army as back up. Lux Vera can't do that alone, we simply don't have the manpower to do so. But, the Templar Order's beliefs line up with my own enough for us to benefit the other. I get an army and I can siphon off technology that will help the Templars in their war with the Assassins."

"You'd happily meddle with a world...because it _benefits _you?" I asked, astonished.

"Is that not what your friends have done in your time?" Zero countered. "Or what Sora and Riku did to when Ansem and Organization XIII ran amok? Don't get me wrong, Xehanort needed to be stopped. But can you really say that be even _being _on this world you're not 'meddling'? I mean...you're going to help Edward assassinate an old man- an old man that you don't even know, I might add- simply because you were told to? That he's 'the villain'? I mean, what has Torres _actually _done to tick you off personally? I mean, yes he beliefs that only the wealthiest should rule, which ticks me off to no end, but...what has he done to _you_? The man's seventy-seven, for gods' sake!"

"What are you trying to pull?" Terra asked.

"I'm saying, what makes you guys think you're the heroes in this situation? We both want to help the Realm of Light. You Keybearers are the ones that ruin it with all this nonsense talk of 'freedom'."

A tense pause happened between us before Zero sighed. "Do you know what freedom is? Freedom is the invitation to chaos. By trying to install freedom you are inviting all sorts of monsters into this Realm. Do you know why the Heartless exist? Because people of the 'freedom' to choose. And that's all freedom is. Freedom to." He looked at me. "Freedom _to _torture." Ven. "Freedom _to _lose." Terra. "Freedom _to _manipulate." Then Aqua. "Freedom _to _fail."

I looked at the others who were all waiting for the chance to kill him. I knew what he was doing. He was using Xehanort to prove his point. His torture of me, his causing of Ven to lose his heart, his manipulation of Terra and his victory over Aqua. Nevertheless Zero continued.

"And Xehanort did what he did because he has your precious 'freedom'," Zero said bitterly, spitting the word. "Whereas you Keybearers want to invite chaos Lux Vera bring order to..."

"No!" Aqua yelled in anger. "Freedom gives people the ability to learn from their mistakes."

"Learn?" Zero scoffed. "_Learn?_ How long has humanity been around? And how long have they made the same mistakes? Mankind cannot go a day without hurting each other. Humanity is a disaster. So engulfed in wrath, avarice, envy, lust, pride, gluttony, laziness. The Bible may be a judgemental, hypocritical book but at least it had that much right. Lux Vera simply seeks to remove the sources of those Sins. If humanity is fed, clothed, entertained and happy they don't care who's in charge. Humans are like dogs, they just need to be trained and then the sources of those sins will be removed and order will be instilled. And yet you lot wear freedom on your sleeves like champions of a crusades, happy to see the world burn. Under the Orinexus the Keyblade Order had a much simpler goal; peace."

"Freedom _is _peace," I said quietly.

"Have you heard nothing I said? Or have you just stuck you fingers in your ears and yelled blah, blah, blah?" Zero walked up to Aqua, speaking in a low, deadly voice. "Think on what I've said next time you tout your precious 'freedom'. Because when I win I'm going to make sure your Order is destroyed. And I'll enjoy it even more because..." Then he pulled off. "Ah, I shouldn't say anymore. I've got a little secret that I, uh...you know what, you don't need to hear it. It'll just confuse you. Anyway, ciao!"

And with that Zero and Lambda left, leaving a bitter taste in our mouths.

We stood there in silence. We weren't frightened that Zero had got under our skin.

We were frightened that part of us agreed with him.

**(End The Master Vainglorious)**

-*IV*-

Edward kneeled on the of the inner wall to the city's main fort. Below him, dressed in elaborate golds and blues, was Laureano de Torres, the elderly Grand Master of the Caribbean Templars.

Staring at the man brought back many memories for Edward. From their first meeting when he was posing as the Templar Duncan Walpole...he had been discovered when looking for Roberts and sent to the Spanish Treasure Fleet, their alliance when he and Torres were searching Kingston for Roberts. His manipulation of Ben Hornigold and finally their last meeting at Port Royal when Torres tried to buy Edward's freedom and knowledge. The feelings that Edward felt towards the man tied in a knot in stomach. But he knew that, by killing this one man, he would be saving the lives of many others.

With Torres right below him Edward leaped, landing on Torres' back and plunging the hidden blade deep in his neck.

"You're done, Torres," Edward said, pulling the body round, recoiling in horror when the man's silver hair, a wig, came off. The man he had killed wasn't Torres, just a body double. "Christ!"

Edward didn't have time to react before he was knocked down from behind. Edward stumbled to his feet, turning to see Torres' heavily armoured bodyguard, El Tiburón, stood behind him brandishing a large battleaxe.

"This again, eh?" Edward said with a chuckle, wiping blood from the back of his head. "You know, I'd be happy to let you go, if you tell me where Torres is?"

El Tiburón grunted and charged Edward. The Assassin raised is twin swords in defence but was struck aside by the armoured hulk. Edward landed with a thump, rolling when El Tiburón tried to bring his axe down on him again. He quickly got to his feet.

"You're too skilled for swordplay," Edward chuckled, pulling out one of his four flintlocks. "How about a little gunplay? No man's immune to pistol shot, I reckon."

El Tiburón roared and charged once more. Edward pointed his pistol at him, shooting him in a gap between El Tiburón's chest piece and chain mail. El Tiburón stumbled a little, giving Edward time to reload. As El Tiburón stood the Assassin quickly shot him with all four pistols causing the armoured man to fall on his back, gurgling weakly.

Edward slowly walked up to him, kneeling next to the dying man. "If you could speak, mate, it would gladden me to hear your side." El Tiburón merely groaned and slumped. Edward sighed. "You humbled me once. I took that lesson hard and I bettered myself. Die knowing that, for all our conflict, you helped make a soldier out of a scoundrel." He stood, pulling his hood up. "Leave this life for an everlasting peace, down among the dead."

-*IV*-

_**Shade**_

Edward returned to the _Jackdaw _by the time the storm had cleared. On the way to the ship Rhona had found us and told us that Torres had already left the city. Which begged the question...

"Torres'd left the city already," Terra said. "Who were you following?"

Edward grimaced. "The vial was labelled Torres, but held the blood of someone else. Where's he headed?"

"Rhona said that he'd left port this morning, following the west coast," Ven said.

"...The Observatory," Edward gasped.

"Will we follow?" Anne asked.

"Send word to Ah Tabai," Edward ordered. "We've cornered our man."

* * *

**Next chapter: **The Keybearers and Edward corner the Templar Grandmaster at Long Bay in the penultimate chapter of the Treasure Hunt Arc.


	37. 36) Death of a Grandmaster

**27/01/16**

**A/N:** So, apparently the last chapter was uploaded on KHIV's one year anniversary. So yeah...the more you know. I certainly didn't.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths, backgrounds, sexualities and gender identities. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**36: **Death of a Grandmaster

_**West Indies Sea**_

The Observatory was at a place called Long Bay on Jamaica. Edward had been there before, led by Bartholomew Roberts, who promptly stabbed him in the back and took the skull for himself so he could rule the West Indies. And now, Torres was after it because he wanted to blackmail this World's empires. And, while what I'd seen about these empires, the slavery and sexism...I knew that the Templars weren't a better option.

"Why would Torres going to the Observatory when we have the skull?" Ven asked over the roar of the waves.

"Presumably he doesn't know we have it," Edward replied.

"Then why taking it to him and risk it's capture?" Anne asked.

Edward smirked. "I want him to know that we have it. Just before he dies."

"I like your style Edward," I laughed.

Night had fallen by the time we arrived at Long Bay and the moon and stars covered the jungle island and sea in an ethereal glow. There were ships there, but considering we weren't attacked it looked like they crewless. I couldn't lie, I was filled with a mix of anticipation and excitement. For the site more than anything else. If my hunch was correct, then this 'First Civilization' that Roberts and the Assassins harped on about was the Orinexus. The original owners of the Keyblades. And the Observatory was a relic of their age.

Like the castle on Requiem.

"Who is this Torres?" Anne asked. "And what has he done to deserve a death sentence?"

"He's a Templar," Edward replied. "Like Rogers and Hornigold. Men cooking up schemes to use the own Observatory for ill purposes. For power and control. The violence he'd cause with this thing would be subtle, yet heavy. Deadly, yet leaving no mark. Does that make sense?"

"Like if there was a drought and Torres kept all the water for himself," Terra replied in realization. "He'd be a killer with no blood on his hands."

I knew Zero was lying. There was a reason we needed to kill Torres.

"Aye, like that," Edward said as he climbed down the side of the _Jackdaw_.

We wade through the shallow waters and stumbled onto the beach. The beach was surrounded on all side by cliffs or thick jungle. There was only one path that led to through the jungle. No need to say where we were going.

"Lord, there's a bit of a chill, isn't there?" Anne said, shivering as she looked around. "Hm. I thought there'd be some soldiers and the like. Maybe they've gone?"

We looked at Edward, hopeful. Edward closed his eyes, quickly open them into a grim frown. "No. They're here. Deep in the jungle."

We moved up the path, through the thick vegetation and vines. It was eerie and dark, the thick canopy blocking out what little light there was. I didn't like it. I don't like the dark. And the fact that we were possibly a few hundred fight from an ancient Orinexus structure was suddenly brought even closer. It was nerve-racking to say the least. I just hoped no Heartless should up.

We came out to a cliff top overlooking the remains of a village. It had been torched and some building were still ablaze. Below were several Spanish Templars. They'd burned the village and killed anyone that stay.

Bastards.

"Jaysus," Anne said in a hushed gasp. "Corpses for miles."

"They brought every ounce of menace they had," Edward said bitterly.

"What should we do?"

I looked at Aqua and the others. Aqua nodded and turned to Edward and Anne. "We'll handle this," she said.

The four of us jumped down and ran to the Templars. Terra struck first with a powerful uppercut, knocking at Templar off his feet. Ven darted past and used reversal and Aeroga on the others to separate them.

"Hey...hey, guys! These Templars should _chill_," I said firing several Dark Blizzagas at their feet, preventing them from moving. "Geddit?"

Aqua shook her head and sighed. Then she waved her hand slightly, causing the nearby sea to stir and churn. She raised a hand and out of the sea came a large torrent of water that slammed the Templars into the cliff wall, knocking them all unconscious.

Edward and Anne joined us and looked around. "I'm not even going to ask how you are able to do that," Anne said.

Edward chuckled. "Come on, the Templars might already be there."

We nodded and dashed off through the jungle.

"Heh, heh..._chill_," I giggled quietly.

-*IV*-

_**Long Bay, The Observatory**_

"Holy mother of God!" Anne exclaimed when we arrived. "Is this the place we've come to see?"

"Aye," Edward replied.

The forest path had eventually widened and gave way to a large plateau. The plateau was still overgrown, but the main thing here were large otherworldly ruins. Several geometrically perfect buildings made from black substance that looked like concrete, but was actually metal. The buildings were made up of several smaller black blocks and were built into the sides of the cliffs. They were horribly weathered and scarred. It looked nothing like the castle of Requiem, but I recognized the Mark of Mastery emblem carved into the Observatory's walls.

This was Orinexus, just like the temple on Haven and the castle on Requiem.

At the base of the largest building was a single doorway.

"Stand watch here," Edward told Anne. "Let no one follow."

"Fit for another thousand fights, aye!" she nodded. "Go on, you five. There's not much time left!"

We nodded and headed down the dark hallway. The inside of the Observatory was cold and damp. Water dripped from the ceiling and echoed in the silence. The interior was remarkably well preserved, if a little dusty. We followed the long winding staircase for what felt like twenty minutes. The stairway eventually gave way to a long corridor with rows and rows of empty shelves.

"You were here before, Edward," Terra said. "What was on these shelves?"

"Vials. Filled with blood," he replied. "I imagine the Templars have taken them."

The pathway opened up to a large chasm filled with moving platforms. One of them, a gondola, had a group of Spanish soldiers on, one of whom was injured. They seemed to be arguing about whether to leave the injured man or not. I couldn't place why.

The answer, however, came in the form of a barrier of light erupting from a crack in the wall, _disintegrating _the man.

"...Holy shit," was all I could say.

"That looks like a Lux Vera weapon," Ven said, startled.

"No," Aqua corrected. "_That_ came first! This is definitely an Orinexus ruin."

"Guys...we may have a bit of a problem..." I said slowly. "I sense Heartless."

Sure enough several NeoShadows appeared along the walls. The four of us summoned our Keyblades and set them to glider form.

"Edward, you use the walls," Aqua ordered. "We'll cover you."

Edward took a look at our gliders and nodded. The room erupted into chaos as we set out on our Keyblade gliders. The Heartless were more interested in the man scaling the walls of the ruins than us, thankfully, but that didn't stop a few of them having a pop at grabbing the gliders when we got close.

"Haha, now _this _is more like it!" I laughed.

"You haven't fought a Metamorphosis," Ven grumbled, furiously firing at the NeoShadows.

"No," I replied shooting down a Heartless that tried to grab Edward as he jumped into a ceiling pillar. "But it sounds fun."

"No. It wasn't."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"_Guys watch out!" _Terra screamed.

I looked behind myself, seeing the glowing cracks on the walls. Ven and I rushed out of the way as the light traps fired, Edward caught between them.

"Yeah, if you could all not die on me, that'd be fantastic," Edward said dryly.

"Says the guy stuck between light traps," I replied as he hopped between a pair and waited for the next blast.

"Stop sassing each other, guys," Aqua said, mopping up the last of the Heartless.

When Edward reach the other platform we dismissed the gliders. Aqua turned. "Oh, look, the gondola's back at the other side!" she said, smiling with a hint of sarcasm.

"Torres is just up ahead," Edward said. "Let's go."

The five of us rushed to the control room, running into several Templars. Just as the Templars readied themselves to charge us the whole ruin shook violently as the light traps pierced the control room floor, engulfing the Templar soldiers and disintegrating them into dust. We paused, unwilling to step forward. Edward pointing to a large platform with an armillary sphere on it. Stood on the platform was a men I recognized from the paintings the Assassins showed us: Laureano de Torres.

"Damn you, Kenway!" he shouted, voice filled with anger. "We could have worked together, Edward. We could have taken power for _ourselves_! And brought these miserable empires to their knees! There is so much potential in you, so much you have yet to accomplish! I could show you things, mysteries beyond your imagination!"

"That our man?" Terra asked, watching the room become filled with Heartless.

"Aye. Deal with these things, I'll get him."

Edward took the walls once more as the room filled rapidly with Pirates and Battleships. Ven kept the smaller ones at bay allowing Terra and I to strike at the Battleships. I glanced at Edward. Just a little more.

I roared and plunged my Keyblade in the ground. "_Purge!_" I yelled, a purple erupting from me like an explosion.

"Nice!" Terra said, using Ars Solum to finish off the Battleships.

I watched as Aqua used Glaciate to finish off the pirates. Suddenly the light traps erupted around us, pinning us to the centre of the room. All eyes were now on Edward as he jumped onto a beam above the Grandmaster. He unsheathed his hidden blade and jumped...

...landing on the platform, missing Torres as the room shook once more. Torres stumbled and fell between the light traps with us. Edward, taking no chances, leaped off the platform and landed on Torres, pushing his blade deep into Torres' chest.

Edward stood over him. The old man chuckled. "Captain Kenway," he said with some familiarity. "Ever a splinter in my side. I see you brought friends. Tell me...does this murder fulfil you?"

"I'm only seeing a job done, Torres," Edward replied. "As you'd have done with me."

Torres laughed. "As we _have _done I think. You have no family anymore, no friends, no future. Your losses are far greater than ours."

"That may be," Edward agreed, nodding. "But killing you rights a far greater good than I ever did."

Torres looked over Edward, inspecting him. "You honestly believe that?"

Edward crouched. "You would see all mankind corralled into a neatly furnished prison, safe and sober, yet dulled beyond reason and sapped of all spirit. So, aye. I _do _believe that."

"You wear your convictions well," Torres said after a long pause. "They suit you..."

The platform with the sphere sank back to the floor. The room shook violently once more, this time light breaking through every gap in the wall.

"That's not good..." Terra said.

Suddenly Ah Tabai, Adéwalé and Anne came running in, Ah Tabai carrying the skull.

"Torres awakened something fierce!" Edward shouted.

"Are we safe?" I asked.

"With the device returned, I believe so," Ah Tabai said with a smile, taking the skull to the sphere and setting it there. The shaking slowly stopped as the light faded. Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief and broke out into laughter.

"So, what d'ye call this place?" Anne asked.

"Captain Kenway's folly," Adé chuckled.

"What do we do with this place now?" Aqua asked. "The Templars can't have it, and I don't fancy the idea of Zero finding it either."

"We can't stop them finding its location," Ah Tabai sighed. "_But_ we can seal this place, and discard the key. Until another Sage appears the door will remain locked."

"There were vials when I came here last," Edward said. "Filled with the blood of ancient men, Roberts said. But they're gone now."

"Then it's up to us to recover them before the Templars catch wind of this. You could join us in our cause?"

"I will..." Edward replied. "But only after I fix what I mangled back home."

It was then that Ah Tabai's face fell. He reached in a pocket on his belt and pulled out a letter. "This...this arrived last week."


	38. 37) The Parting Glass

**A/N: **D-D-D-Double upload!

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **The following is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag _and all its characters are owned by Ubisoft. The story of _ACIV, _though based on history and having historical figures, was made by a multicultural team of developers with different faiths/lack of faiths, backgrounds, sexualities and gender identities. I only own the OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Treasure Hunt

**37: **The Parting Glass

_**Shade**_

We volunteered to stay an extra few weeks, helping the Assassins track down the Lux Vera tech that Zero had left and helping Edward come terms with what was in that letter. As turned out Edward's estranged wife, Caroline Scott-Kenway, was pregnant when Edward left for the Caribbean. She never told him so Edward never knew he'd fathered a little girl. Jenny Scott. And so we volunteered to help Edward with his grief and help Edward come to terms with the sudden news of a child.

As it happened Edward owned on island. By owned I mean 'acquired', make of that what you will. Since Edward was leaving he gave the island, Great Inagua, to Ah Tabai. While Aqua was telling Ah Tabai and Adéwalé to make doubly sure about the Lux Vera tech we had already recovered Edward came strolling up to us with a big smile on his face.

"Gentlemen," he said to the two Assassins. "How do you find it here?"

Ah Tabai smiled. "It will work for us. But our goal must be to scatter our operations. To live and work among the people we protect, just as Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad once counselled."

Edward chuckled. "Well until that time, it's yours to do with as you see fit."

"Edward..." Adé said. "Captain Woodes Rogers survived his wounds."

"What?!" I blurted out. Everyone stared. "Oh, come on, Edward _stabbed _him in the _jugular_. That's got to be a miracle, right?"

Edward chuckled and petted my head. I pouted.

Adé laughed and continued. "He has returned to England...shamed and in great debt, but no less a threat."

Edward nodded and turned slightly. "Then I will finish that job when I return. You have my word." He walked off, the four of us following him. "I must thank you for your help. You didn't need to stick by me. Especially with that Zero fellow you're searching for still out there."

"We wouldn't be Keybearers if we didn't help those that need it," Aqua said. "But you're welcome all the same."

Edward turned. "Where is it you said you were from again? Your outfits, your knowledge, the way you talk. That's certainly not from the Orient that I've heard of."

"Just...somewhere far away," I said cryptically.

Edward nodded and left it at that. We were walking down to the docks when Anne spotted us. She ran to us, hugging the Terra, Aqua, Ven and I in turn.

"Evening, Anne," Edward said.

"Edward," she smiled in response.

"I'll...be sailing to London in the next few months," he began, blushing slightly. "I'd be a hopeful man if you were beside me."

Anne opened her mouth, slightly stunned. "I...I..." she stammered before composing herself. "I'm sorry Edward. England's the wrong way 'round the globe for an Irishwoman."

Edward politely nodded, disheartened. "Will you stay with the Assassins?"

"No," Anne said with a shake of her head. "I haven't got that kind of conviction in my heart. You?"

"In time, aye...when my mind is settled and my blood is cooled."

Anne nodded. "And what about you four?"

"Oh...we'll be going back home for a while," Aqua said. "We've still got a cult leader to track down."

"Then I wish you the best of luck," Anne smiled.

"Sail ho! Coming into the cove!" shouted a voice from the docks. Edward watched the small brig glide in gracefully. The look on his face was the most nervous I'd ever seen him. I stepped beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You're a good man, Edward," I said. "And if you can settle down for more than a week, you'll be a good dad too."

Edward nodded as Anne sat down with a guitar and started to sing.

**(The Parting Glass- ACIV OST)**

"Come on," Terra said. "We can at least give him some backup."

"I'm so glad for you, Edward," Aqua said softly.

"You'll do fine," Ven encouraged.

"Oh, I can't wait to tell the others about this adventure," I said excitedly. "Come on, one last trip, the five of us!"

Aqua, Terra, Ven and I all smiled at each other. I caught Edward's face as he gazed over the bay. Sad, reflective. Like he'd seen lost friends once more. I small tear formed in the corner of his eye, which he held back with a shaky breath. He swallowed.

"Aye. The five of us."

Edward walked down the stone steps onto the sandy path. His body visibly a mess of emotions.

"It's alright to be nervous," Aqua said. "It's natural."

"Meeting Jenny isn't the hard part," Edward said. "What if I mess up again? I messed everything up with Caroline, I don't want to mess her life up as well."

"Well...don't let anyone hurt her."

"Be there when she needs to listen," Ven said.

"Never to take her for granted," Terra said, evidently thinking of Eraqus.

"And..." I said, thinking. "For Cosmos' sake, let her know that you love her."

"If you do all that, you can't go wrong," Aqua laughed.

"Aye," Edward nodded, picking some red flowers.

The ship docked in the bay and out of it stepped a little girl, no more than about ten. I'd never seen Edward so nervous. Cautiously he knelt down and handed her the small makeshift bouquet of flowers. Jenny shyly took them...then glomped her father.

"Awww..." I giggled.

Edward turned. "I suppose this is goodbye."

"Suppose it is," Aqua said with a smile.

"I can't thank you enough..."

"There's no need," I said. "Besides. We can come back."

"There's no guarantee I'll still be in the West Indies."

"Oh, we have ways," I smirked. "We'll see you again, mister."

* * *

**Next Chapter: **We catch up with Sora and the gang in **Return to the Land of Dragons**. It's a brand new arc people!


	39. 38) Return to the Land of Dragons

**04/02/16**

**A/N: **Sorry about the length of time it took to write this.

This. Was a surprisingly difficult chapter to write.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Heartless Lord

**38: **Return to the Land of Dragons

_**Land of Dragons**_

"It's good to be here again," Sora said with a smile, taking in the smell of the Chinese food as the group walked through the city.

"Yeah. Last time I was here I had to save your ass from Rapid Thrusters," Riku laughed, eating a bowl of noodles.

"I didn't see you taking down the Storm Rider," Sora smirked.

"No," Riku admitted. "But, if I recall rightly, it was Mulan doing all the work."

"Hey!"

"Geez, guys," Xion groaned, annoyed. "Knock it off."

Sora and Riku turned, looking at each other.

"We were just having a laugh..." Sora said.

Xion sighed. "Sorry. I just...really want to find this book."

Kairi watched on, a blur of emotions running through her head. Something wasn't right. Something was _off_. She couldn't shake the feeling that Xion _knew_ Riku. Inside her head were several images, _flashbacks_...but they weren't hers. She couldn't see clearly, like a fog clouding the memories.

The Beast's castle...

An argument between Riku and a hooded Keybearer...

And that scream.

"Kairi, watch out!" Lea shouted, pulling Kairi out of her trance and the noodle store she was about to walking into.

The store's owner yelled angrily while Lea hurried Kairi away. "Are you alright?" he asked her, concerned.

"Y-yeah..." Kairi replied. "Just...I thought..."

"You have a funny feeling about Xion too?" Lea asked quietly.

"Sort of...I'm certain she knows who we are. And not what she said to us on Haven."

"Mmm," Lea murmured. "She feels...familiar." He sniffed once. "Oh, well. C'mon, we're falling behind."

With that, Lea took off.

"What? You're just going to leave it at that?" Kairi shouted after him.

"I never said that!" Lea grinned back.

-*IV*-

It wasn't long before the group were outside the Imperial Palace's gate. As they strolled up they noticed something wasn't right. The Imperial Palace was well guarded, of course it was, but the amount of guards patrolling and stationed around the wall was off the scale.

"Were there normally this many guards last time?" Xion asked.

"No..." Sora answered. "Even with Shan Yu around there were never this many. Not that I saw anyway."

Riku stopped Sora as he began to walk up to the gate. "Do you really think they'll just let you in?" Riku hissed.

"Sure, I helped save the Land of Dragons!" Sora said matter-of-factly. "Twice!"

Sora shrugged Riku off and headed for the gate while the others watched on. Almost immediately he was surrounded and thrown to the ground.

"I knew it wouldn't work," Riku groaned, walking up to them. "Hey, guys. Look we don't want any trouble, just-"

"Stop!" The guard's captain shouted putting a sword to Riku's throat. "State your intent! Now!"

"Hey, easy, big guy," Lea said calmly. "Put the sword down before some gets hurt." That was when the guards rushed him, tackling Lea to the ground. Lea sighed. "Look, I _did _warn you guys..."

Lea roared, sending out a burst of flames and knocking the guards back a few feet. All the guards drew their swords and surrounded the boys. Xion groaned from the sidelines.

"Never send a boy to do a woman's job," she mumbled, summoning her _Kingdom Key_ and rushing in.

"Oh, gods damn it," Kairi muttered, joining her.

The girls' ambush worked, catching the guards off-guard and allowing the others to get the jump on them while they were distracted. Despite that they were quickly overwhelmed by numbers were quickly forced down.

"Advisor!" the captain shouted. "We found more suspects!"

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" a woman said chuckling to herself as she walked up.

"Wait..." Sora started. "I know that voice."

We all turned our heads as the woman inspected us.

"Mulan?!" Sora exclaimed.

"Sora?" Mulan asked in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh er...long story," Sora replied. "We're looking for a book, sort of like a treasure map that'll lead us to this ancient crypt thing."

"Ah, so you're not here to say hi?" Mulan giggled.

"O-Oh, yes! W-we came to say hi as well!" Sora stammered.

"Honestly, Sora, she's just teasing you," Kairi laughed.

"Oh...I knew that."

"Guys, I'd love for you guys to catch up," I said, my face muffled by a guard's boot. "But...could we do it when we're _not _being manhandled by the Sun Tzu Appreciation Squad, that'd be great."

-*IV*-

_**Later...**_

"So why is this place on red alert?" Xion asked as we sat down for some noodles.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked back.

"Guards are not that paranoid," Xion replied. "Something's got them spooked."

We all turned to Mulan, who looked a little concerned. She sighed. "We believe that the Emperor is going to be assassinated. A strange monkey-looking man and a woman as white as a sheet have been spotted lurking around the imperial city. They sound foreign and they speak in riddles. But when the guards corner them they disappear into dark portals without a trace."

"Great, more darkness users..." Lea grumbled.

"Did they look familiar?" Riku asked.

"No," Mulan replied with a shake of her head. "And they weren't like the men in black coats either. They're new."

"That's all we need," Sora sighed. "What do you think we should do, Xion?" Sora glanced at the girl, who was watching a thin, gangly man in blue robes. "Xion?"

Xion watched the man intently as he hurried through the room. Tucked into his sleeve was a small knife. Xion's eyes widened. "It's him!" she said sharply, standing up.

The thin man turned, eyes wide in fright.

"S-Shi Fu?" Mulan asked. "What are you doing?"

Shi Fu fumbled a little before shouting. "Heartless! Attack!"

**(Dance to the Death- KH 2.5 OST)**

Shi Fu's hands glowed as several powerful Assault Riders appeared, blocking the path. The Keybearers and Mulan immediately sprung into action, charging the Assault Riders and dispatching them with ease.

As Shi Fu fled, several more Heartless appeared. These were new. They looked like Defenders, but were bulkier with thick samurai-style armour around their navy blue bodies. Instead of a shield they held a massive cog with the face of a Chinese dragon on it.

"I haven't seen these...!" Riku said, stumbling back as one of the new Heartless slammed its cog down, the face shooting out a purple jet of flame.

"They're called Armed Warriors," Xion said, slipping behind one and dispatching it with a Break attack. "They're an old species of Heartless from before the First Keyblade War. Just deal with them like Defenders, but watch out for..."

Before Xion could finish, the Armed Warriors charged with their cogs' teeth bared and gnashing. The group dodged as Mulan fired of several fireballs, stopping them abruptly.

"Yeah. That."

"Dammit, we do _not _have time for this!" Mulan growled, giving chase to Shi Fu.

The Keybearers followed, unaware of the purple haired woman that watched them in the shadows.

The group charged down the hallways, bringing every soldier they could find to help them take down the onslaught of Heartless that stood in their way. Soon they were on the heels of Shi Fu as he entered the throne room.

General Shang turned, confused to see Shi Fu. "Shi Fu. You've been banned from these quarters," he said curtly. "State your business."

"Oh, out of my way," Shi Fu growled, launching on Assault Rider. "If you were half the man your father was you'd have made adequate defences."

The Emperor merely watched Shi Fu. "Shi Fu...I sense another person pulling your strings..."

"One with more power than you could ever imagine you spiteful old man. This is for your incompetence. If you had brought the war to the Huns instead of waiting for them to breach the Wall we wouldn't have had to rebuild. And then you give _my _position to that stupid _whore_! My benefactors will ensure that China is ruled in the best possible manner."

"And yet...I sense doubt in you?" the Emperor asked.

"No! My mind is as clear as when I started.

"You have an arrogance that has always blinded you, Shi Fu. I am disappointed. You are a smart man. And yet...your arrogance makes you unable to see the obvious."

"And what is that?"

"...That I am stalling you," the Emperor smirked, watching as the door flew open.

"Shi Fu!" Mulan shouted.

Shi Fu turned and panicked, pulling the knife out of his sleeve and throwing it at the Emperor.

Kairi ran forward, firing a Pearl spell at the knife and knocking it off course. It embedded itself into the wall with a dull thud.

Sora and Riku quickly dispatched the Assault Rider as Mulan pinned Shi Fu to the ground. Shi Fu struggled but was met with Lea's Keyblade at his throat.

"Don't even try it, little man," he growled.

With all the commotion no one could see the purple haired woman sighing and closing the door before disappearing into darkness.

-*IV*-

_**The next day**_

"I must thank you Keybearers once more," the Emperor said, sipping his green tea.

"Eh, it's what we do," Sora shrugged with grin.

"Indeed. However, am I right in assuming that you have come here for something in particular?"

"Ah, straight to the point," Lea chuckled. "I like this old man."

"Lea, behave," Riku snapped before turning to the Emperor. "We came here for a book we believe you might have. '_Life on the Battlefield_'?"

The Emperor thought for a moment. "Yes...yes, I believe I recognize that name. It will be with you in a few hours. In the meantime, please enjoy all this city has to offer, free of charge."

"Free food?" Sora asked. "Awesome!"

Then he took off like a bullet. The others followed suit but Kairi stayed behind. Xion looked at her.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yesterday...you used Break," Kairi said sternly.

"And?" Xion said, annoyed.

"Only Sora can use that move."

Xion's breath paused ever so slightly. She laughed. "Big assassination attempt on the Emperor and you're having a go at me? You're overthinking too much Kairi."

With that Xion walked off with the others, leaving Kairi's mind split. Was she overthinking?

The Emperor stood next to her. "You are unsure on whether to trust that girl?"

"I don't know...maybe it's just my own paranoia but..."

"As the emperor of the Tang dynasty it is necessary for me to see what lies in a person's heart. With Sora I see kindness, with Riku I see pain and the urge to make sure no feels the same pain and with you I see purity and love."

Kairi slowly looked at the Emperor. "And what do you see in Xion."

"...Liar."

-*IV*-

_**Palace roof**_

"Honestly, Mammy, why did you ever think such a weedy little man good do that?" the woman asked, overseeing Shi Fu's execution. "I mean, you really shouldn't let a human do a Heartless' job. Shoulda just possessed him. That's what I'd-" she turned to see a Dark Corridor closing swiftly. "Oh, you've gone."

She coughed to herself.

"Well...I wouldn't have possessed _him_," she said to herself. "That Mulan girl though...she's strong. _Definitely_ would make a good Heartless. Ah well, that's for another time."

The woman pulled a picture out of her skirt's pocket, stroking the face of the girl in the picture. "Soon, Mio. Very soon."


	40. 39) Sandstone

**23/04/16**

**A/N: **Yes, yes, I know. She promises to update more frequently, doesn't update for weeks. Long story short I know have a job which is starting on the 31/5 and I was busy sorting things out for it. Because of this, updating will be (surprise, surprise) permanently random now as I will only have a limited amount of free time to write now and I have other things I like to do to relax _and _I'm in the middle of a giant One Piece binge (I have 744+ episodes to watch and I'm only at 184).

So this is a notice that while I will still be updating I have no schedule until I can get a routine going, since real life and work comes first.

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own OCs. Please support the official release.

* * *

**Arc: **Heartless Lord

**39: **Sandstone

_**Gummi Ship**_

"God, these pretzels suck," Lea grumbled as he waited for EVE to decipher the code in the book. "How's the code breaking going, EVE?"

"Average..." EVE replied. "The code seems to be more difficult than the last one. I can only imagine that this trend will continue."

"Great!" Lea groaned sarcastically. "Hey, Sora! Miss Digital doesn't know how to code break."

"...You do know I can just jettison you out of the airlock if I feel like it?" EVE asked.

"What? N-No! Don't, I'm sorry, pretty female voice!"

EVE chuckled. "I'm just joking."

Lea breathed a sigh of relief. "The AI has a sense of humour, who knew?"

"Just don't interrupt me next time," EVE said sternly. "Sora, Riku?"

"Yeah?" Sora asked.

"Set a destination for Agrabah. Tesla hid the next book there."

-*IV*-

_**Agrabah, Main Street**_

The Keybearers landed outside the city walls and made their way into the city. Despite Agrabah normally being a hustling hub of activity no one was around. Buildings were in ruins, some completely destroyed and it was deathly quiet.

Sora looked around. "Where is everyone?"

Suddenly a large group of Luna Bandits appeared in front of them, brandishing their swords.

"You just _had _to ask, didn't you?" Lea groaned, launching a Firaga at them.

The group easily dispatched the Heartless but were soon pinned down by Fat Bandits and Pot Scorpions. Sora and Riku danced around the Fat Bandits, dispatching them with Blizzaga while Xion struggled against the Pot Scorpions.

"How do you hit these things?!" Xion yelled as a Scorpion blocked with a pincer.

"You need to block and counter so they land on their backs," Sora replied, dodging a Fat Bandit's flamethrower attack.

Xion nodded and waited as the Pot Scorpion charged. She blocked and countered, sending the Heartless onto its back where she managed to overwhelm the Heartless with a Thundaga spell, backed up by Kairi and Lea.

When all the Hearrtless were gone the group paused for breath.

"Ah, nothing like a good Heartless skirmish to get the blood pumping," Lea chuckled, shaking out his arms. "I could use a drink."

"Aren't you supposed to be heat tolerant?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah. But not _desert _heat tolerant. Different kind of heat. Can't fight if the heat saps your strength."

"There should be a pump nearby," Sora said, leading them to a large building. "We can drink from there try and find out where everyone's gone. This isn't right."

Outside the building was a small metal water pump, which the group gratefully drank from. While they were drinking they were unaware of the figure that watched them from the shadows. Sora turned as the figure charged.

"Yaaaargh!" the figure, a woman, screamed.

"Aaaargh!" Sora yelled as he was barrelled over.

"Holy shit!" Lea exclaimed in surprise.

Sora managed to wrestle the woman off, pulling her hood down. "Jasmine?" he asked.

"S-Sora?" she gasped before hugging him tightly. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"

"What's going on? Where is everyone?"

"Oh, yes, of course!" Jasmine paused. "The Heartless are rampaging throughout the desert. We don't know why they're here. We think this woman in a black and red coat is behind it all. She seems to be determined to topple my father. She kills indiscriminately it doesn't matter if they're new-born or elderly. She keeps asking where the lamp is too, so Aladdin went out the Buried City to fight her."

"Genie's lamp? Or...oh, no..."

"Exactly. If she's after a lamp she's probably after Jafar's lamp."

"Who's Jafar?" Kairi asked.

"He was the advisor to the Sultan," Riku explained. "But he plotted with Maleficent to take over Agrabah and the rest of the Realm of Light. He used Genie to turn himself into a powerful djinn, but he was stopped by Sora. He'd make a powerful Heartless."

"Then we need to get to the Buried City," Lea said.

Jasmine nodded before whistling. From behind the rooftops Carpet came flying towards them. It landed in front of the group, jumping around like an excited dog.

"Carpet, I need you to take them to the Buried City," Jasmine explained.

"You, Riku and Kairi go," Xion said. "Lea and I will keep an eye on the city."

Sora nodded and the three climbed onto Carpet before flying off to the Buried City.

-*IV*-

_**Agrabah, Buried City**_

The group landed in the ruins of the Buried City, only to find it empty. The City was a mess of ruined spires, bridges and collapsed houses all half buried under sand. It seemed like this was the original site of Agrabah but however many years ago it was destroyed by war then buried by a sandstorm.

As the trio walked around the city they noticed someone on one of the rooftops. Sora squinted as the man waved.

"That's him!" he shouted, wading his way through the sand to him.

When the group got to him Aladdin motioned them to be quiet. "Try not to shout. The Heartless Commander is still around here."

"What happened?" Kairi asked.

"The woman. She's after Jafar. But she agreed to stop the invasion if I can defeat the Heartless Commander."

"And where is it now?" Sora asked.

**(Fight and Away- KH1.5 OST)**

The ground rumbled and quaked as huge hulk of rock burst its way out of the sand. Sora sighed. "I really do have to stop asking things like that."

The giant rock golem clawed its way out of the sand. It towered over the entire city, casting a dark shadow over the ruins. The Heartless seemed to be made out igneous rock and was covered in glowing red and blue crystal. It was hunched over making its face protrude from the centre of its body. Its face was made of two parts: one long and demonic with several red gems and cobra like sculptures attached to it and had two long fangs as sharp as swords. On its 'chin' was a second face, short and fatter than the other one. It was covered in blue gems and hand two horns coming from its top. It was more human like and, if one looked closely, the fangs would become tusks.

The creature roared menacingly at the group.

**SWITCHFACE**

**TITAN OF ICE AND FIRE**

The Heartless immediately smashed it giant fist on to the building, forcing the team to scatter. Sora and Kairi flanked the beast, affording the fireballs that it launched. Switchface roared and slammed its fist down, sending out shockwaves of fire.

"Sora, I need your shoulders!" Kairi shouted, running up behind him.

"On it!"

Sora skidded to a halt, Kairi jumping onto his shoulders and using them as a step to jump onto the Heartless' arms as it swiped after her.

"Be careful!" Sora shouted.

"Always am," Kairi laughed back as she powered up its arm.

While Kairi made her way to a large crystal on the monster's shoulder, Aladdin and Riku distracting it. Slamming its fist down on the sand, Switchface roared, sending up plumes of lava to hamper the two men. Riku countered with Dark Barrier and sent out several Blizzagas, staggering the beast.

Kairi clambered up the Heartless' rock-like body, avoiding pitfalls and crags up its arm. She reached the giant, glowing red crystal and raised her Keyblade. The Keyblade glowed with light and with a might thrust Kairi plunged it into the crystal. The crystal shattered with a mighty boom sending Kairi flying backwards.

Shocked, Sora cast Aeroga and propelled himself upwards, grabbing Kairi.

"Be more careful!" Sora shouted, concerned.

"Oh, please," Kairi snorted. "You've done way more dangerous stuff."

Sora frowned but didn't deny it. "Just..."

"I know," Kairi said softly.

"Guys, focus!" Riku shouted as the Heartless roared.

Switchface got on all fours, digging its claws into the sand and turning its giant face around so that its blue half was upright. With a sickening crack plumes of ice rained down from the Heartless' back.

Riku dashed left and right to try and evade the plumes of ice. As the ice landed it formed huge spiked crystals making movement harder. Riku ducked and dived to avoid them only to stumble when one formed right in front of him.

"I got you!" Aladdin shouted, diving on Riku as the spiked crystal exploded into shards that embedded themselves in Aladdin's back. Aladdin grunted in pain.

"Are you alright?" Riku asked, pulling several out of his back.

"Yeah," Aladdin said, breathing deeply. "I'll be fine, let's just hurry up and defeat this thing."

Riku nodded and used Aeroga to lift himself into the air. He landed on the creature's rocky back, spying the second large crystal on its other shoulder. Wasting no time Riku made a mad dash for it.

On the ground Kairi, Sora and Aladdin were struggling to avoid Switchface's stomping. With every step the angered Heartless kicked up mounds of sand that splashed over the trio. Sora groaned, wiping the grit off his face.

"Uugh...how do we stop it moving?!" Sora shouted.

Kairi looked at the ground. "I have an idea," she said. "Everyone, get on the buildings!"

The trio clambered up onto the buildings, narrowly avoiding Switchface's swipes as it tried to destroy the ruins. When the three reached the top Kairi turned, encasing her Keyblade in water.

"I wish we had Aqua here right now..." she said, sighing.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked, confused.

"The Heartless is stood on sand, right?" Kairi explained. "You know what happens to the sand when it gets wet."

"But...you don't have enough power over water to sink it," Sora said.

"No," Kairi agreed. "But if I can sink one leg, that should give us an opening."

With a roar Kairi threw _Destiny's Embrace _at one of Switchface's feet. The water around the weapon bubbled and burst forth from the Keyblade like a fountain seeping deep into the sand. Switchface jerked forward as its foot started to sink.

"What...is that?" Sora asked.

"Something Aqua taught me," Kairi explained. "She figured it would be good to have water in our movesets because of how powerful it can be."

"Hey!" Riku yelled from the beast's back. "A little bit of warning would have been a appreciated!"

"Oh! S-sorry!" Kairi shouted sheepishly.

Riku shook his head and made a beeline for the crystal. With a powerful roar Riku's Keyblade glowed with light. With a powerful Zantetsuken Riku slashed through the crystal, smashing it into pieces.

Switchface roared and jerked forward, sending Riku flying head first into the building the others were on. Sora helped him up. "You ready to finish this up?" Sora asked.

"Yeah," Riku. "Session?"

"Session."

The two Keybearers leaped up into the air and blasted Switchface with orbs of Light and Darkness. The Heartless roared in pain as the crystals on its face began to explode. Together the pair whipped around it and brutally slashed it with their Keyblades, crippling it before enveloping it a powerful vortex of light. When the light cleared all that was left of the Heartless was a smoking corpse.

Sora and Riku landed, stretching.

(**End Fight and Away**)

"That was fun!" Sora grinned.

"Idgit," Riku chuckled.

Suddenly the group were surrounded by several Orcus' all pointing their spears at them. In the centre of them, floating off the ground through no obvious means, was a thin, ghost-white woman in a black dress whose face was hidden by a hooded cloak. She raised her hand.

"Hey!" Aladdin shouted. "You said that if we defeated that thing you'd free Agrabah! We had a deal!"

The woman hung there, arm raised. Silence filled the ruins as the woman debated what to do. From her shadow face came a giggle and the Orcus' disappeared. Curtseying elaborately she disappeared with them.

"You think she kept her word?" Kairi asked.

"Only one way to find out," Sora replied.

-*IV*-

_**Agrabah, Palace Gates**_

With the group reunited and the Heartless threat eliminated Jasmine thanked Sora once again for saving Agrabah.

"No worries," Sora smiled. "We're just happy to help."

Jasmine smiled sweetly. "No need to be modest, you've done so much for Agrabah the last few years. I don't even think they would _be _an Agrabah today without you. So, in order to thank you and show our appreciation the royal family have decided to gift with something from the royal treasury." Jasmine reached into her bag and pulled out a dusty, tattered book. "Lea said you were looking for this while you were away in the Buried City."

Riku took the book, _The Singular World_. Sure enough it was by Tesla. Riku pulled out the small handheld computer, EVE's avatar popping up.

"Is this it?" he asked.

EVE looked at the book and scanned it with a small green light. "I think so," she replied, biting her lip. "Yes, I'm sure of it."

Riku smiled at Jasmine. "Thank you."

"No, thank _you_. Again."

"We'll see you next time," Aladdin chuckled. "I doubt you're staying very long."

Sora shook his head apologetically. "Sorry. Maybe we'll come back for a holiday."

"Haha, don't worry. You're busy people. We understand."

-*IV*-

_**Buried City**_

The woman looked over the corpse of Switchface. Running a thin hand along the body of the Heartless she sighed.

"Never get a Devil Heartless to do a Light Heartless' job," she grumbled. "_Dammit!_" The woman angrily kicked the body. "Uuugh, fine, fine, _fine_. I'll do this one myself."


	41. 40) Still a Dead World

**01/09/2016**

**A/N: **Hey, guys! After a three month hiatus I'm back and badder than ever! Well...maybe not bad but...anyway, shit's been ok for me. I've been adulting.

...I just realized that only sounds fine in my head. And I just made worst.

...

So, I've been a facilities apprentice at a credit company for three months. Out of respect for the place I'm not naming them. They're alright, bit repetitive. And the complaints are _hilarious_.

And, _big _news...I've got a girlfriend! Woo!

Anywho, I'm gonna try and keep a steadyish schedule (yes, sod off, Shadow and her schedules, I get it) since I now have inspiration again and a legitimate excuse for not updating! Also, I'm going to fiddle with my Destiny fanfic. There's still a piece in Chapter 3 that needs sorting and chapters 5 to 7 need to be copied on to my laptop. But I'm going to start it after I've finished the first major boss (Sepiks Prime).

I'm also trying to put up a Fallout fanfic set in Britain (huzzah!) and I'm going to finish my Sonic the Hedgehog series if it kills me.

So, sit back, enjoy the refreshed Shadowclaw and the wonders of her mind. I said I'd finish the _Dancing Shadows _series. I intend to stick to that.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Heartless Lord

**40: **Still a Dead World

_**The World That Never Was**_

**(Sacred Distance- KH 3D OST)**

Vincent sat lazily on the ruined sofa of the Grey Area in the Castle That Never Was. He couldn't help but wonder why Xemnas, or rather, Xehanort, always insisted in overly long names for his bases. As he quietly thought about the disgraced Keyblade Master he quickly came to the conclusion that Xehanort was just one for the dramatics and not unlike Zero in that sense. The difference between Zero and Xehanort was that while Xehanort was always grandiose Zero was definitely a showman. Everything about Zero's speeches, every move he made, was meticulously planned to the finest detail.

Vincent glanced to his left and watched the small red drone that housed A.D.A.M fly around the library. Lux Vera's AI had spent the last two hours tearing the castle apart trying to find a book in Xemnas' vast collection. The pair had even tried some of the Organization's former bedrooms, put Vincent was forced to give up when A.D.A.M refused to take part in the bizarre unlocking methods.

"How's it going, A.D.A.M?" Vincent asked tiredly.

"If by 'how is it going?' you mean 'have you found it?'," A.D.A.M replied. "Then it is going badly."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"I am an AI, I am not capable of sarcasm."

"Somehow I don't believe that."

A.D.A.M flew over to Vincent, annoyed. "The book is not in this room. The only rooms left are the rooms of the Organization's former members and you and I both know that, despite the damage to this building, those locks will not break."

"Unless we do the unlock puzzles, but someone threw a tantrum with Demyx's door, didn't they?"

A.D.A.M backed off. "I do not understand your question."

"Don't play dumb," Vincent sighed. "Anyway, we need to..."

"If I may interject?"

"...What?"

"The Keybearers have arrived."

Vincent paused, slowly smiling. "Let's hope they have better luck than we did."

-*IV*-

_**The World That Never Was**_

_**Dark City**_

The group arrived outside Memory's Skyscraper. It was drizzling and Lea was the first to complain about getting wet, much to the other's chagrin. The City was almost exactly the same as Sora's last visit: a vast sea of skyscrapers that stretch on forever, reaching out to the dark sky like towering trees.

The main difference was the lack of Kingdom Hearts in the sky, which made the dark city virtually black if not for the neon glows of the signs that plastered the buildings. Another thing that the group were quick to notice was the gargantuan castle that had dominated the skyline had crashed, now dilapidated, abandoned and tilted at an awkward angle as it twisted the city around it.

"What happened to this place?" Xion asked.

"The void where the world's heart should be is getting bigger," Lea said with a faint sadness. "Without Organization XIII here there's nothing to stop this place from falling apart. I imagine even the Heartless have abandoned this place now."

"Is that possible?" Kairi asked.

"He's right," Riku replied, holding up a small computer. "I can't feel anything. E.V.E, where would this book be?"

"Tesla gifted it to the original Organization XIII," E.V.E replied, popping out in hologram form. "I imagine it would be in the Castle."

"Isn't it always?" Sora laughed.

-*IV*-

After a long walk through the mangled husks of collapsed skyscrapers the group eventually entered the Castle through one of its many windows. The group was almost sad to see the state of their old enemy's fortress, dying without its master. Xion in particular had a peculiar way of taking it, which made Kairi slightly curious about her history here. As they climbed the Castle Kairi wondered about Xion's exact motives for helping the group and she knew there was something she was hiding.

It wasn't just a gut feeling, Kairi felt something deeper when she was around the black haired Keyblade wielder. A suspicion that grew with the memory flashes she saw when they were close. Kairi may not be an adept fighter but she was smart enough to realize that these flashes were of Xion's past, probably aggravated by Naminé in some form, and Kairi was scared: most of them revolved around Sora and Organization XIII.

"Earth to Kairi?" Lea chuckled, nudging her with his elbow.

"Eh? What?" Kairi asked.

"You zoned out."

"Oh...uh...sorry about that..."

Lea looked at her, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"I think...but I can't say right now until I've got definitive proof," Kairi said apologetically.

Lea nodded slowly, glancing at Xion as she helped Sora pry a door open. "I get you. Hey! You guys do know that's what a Keyblade is for, right?"

"It was half open, don't blame us the mechanism's stuck!" Xion snapped.

"Wait, they can't open broken doors?"

"Guess not," Sora shrugged.

"...Huh."

The group were interrupted by the hum of a small red drone. It seemed to inspect them thoroughly, before throwing up a holographic screen in front of them. The screen was black for a moment until it flashed to life, showing the emotionless face of Vincent.

"Hello," he said politely.

"It's you!" Kairi yelled.

Vincent looked at her. "Oh, hello, Kairi. Sorry about what we did to Sora."

"You..." she repeated, stunned. "Thanks?"

Vincent smiled. "You're welcome. I must stress Lux Vera didn't wish to harm him."

"I doubt that," Kairi growled.

"I'm stood _right _here, you know," Sora said.

Vincent nodded, moving on swiftly. "I have a proposition for you. A.D.A.M and I have been looking for the book we believe you are looking for as well. We've searched the majority of the Castle. However there are thirteen rooms that we can't get into."

"Aw, hell..." Lea groaned.

"I'm trusting you know which ones I mean, Axel?"

"Yes, I do. The Organization's personal bedrooms," Lea replied. "And it's Lea, got it memorized?"

"Apologies. If you find the book, you can keep it. No strings attached. Consider it a parting gift."

"Really?" Sora asked, suspicious. "You're just _giving _the book to us?"

"I'm a man of my word."

And with that A.D.A.M flew off leaving the Keybearers slightly stunned. They looked at each other, uncertain of what to do next.

"Should we look for these rooms?" Sora asked.

"I don't really think we have a choice," Riku sighed.

"I don't like this..." Kairi said quietly.

"Why not?" Xion asked. "We find the rooms, we get the book. Right?" The others all nodded in agreement, prompting Xion to look at Lea.

"...Why are you looking at me?" he asked.

"You were with the Organization, you should know where the rooms are."

Lea gave an overdramatic groan and took off. After a long winding trek through the Castle's collapsed corridors, and Lea being bugged to and refusing to tell the others about the Organization's door locking methods. The wry half smirk on his face worried the others greatly. As a general rule when Lea smirked like that something hilariously funny or awkwardly terrible was about to happen.

Eventually Lea led them to a circular room near Where Nothing Gathers. The room was a mix of greys and purple with a high ceiling. Nothing overly fancy about it, but then Xemnas's Organization never was, always simplifying things as part of Xehanort's plan to brainwash them. The room had doors with symbols matching the original members of Organization XIII. All...

"_Fourteen?_" Sora asked, confused. "How come there are fourteen doors?"

Lea paused, staring at the offending door. It was the least well kept of all of them, being cracked and broken. The group could make out the symbol of a Keyblade on it. Lea's eyes narrowed. "I don't know," he finally said. "It's just always been there I guess, I just...never noticed it."

"Never noticed it?" Riku asked. "How do you just _not _notice an extra door?"

Lea shrugged. Xion rolled her eyes and pulled out a small scanner before walking up to the door. She scanned it a few times before smiling slightly. "Perception filter," Xion said. "It tricks the brain into make an object or person unnoticable. All inconsistencies are forgotten."

"Why would Xemnas have a perception..." Lea asked slowly. Suddenly he grabbed his head and groaned in pain. "Fffuck!"

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, helping him as he collapsed.

"I dunno...some sort of...memory flash I think..." Lea breathed deeply. "Fuck...I don't know, it's gone now..."

"You gonna be ok?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, I...ow," Lea shook himself slightly. "Right then, let's get this over with. Each member of the Organization had there on room and, in order to maximize privacy, each one had a...unique lock."

"Define unique," Xion said.

"Unique to that person. Luxord's door had you play poker against it."

"...That seems like a long time to open a door," Riku noted.

"Luxord was _very _good a poker," Lea laughed. "I never did get that money back..."

"So...puzzle locks?" Kairi asked.

"More like gimmick locks, but yeah."

The group stood in silence before Sora walked up to the door with the scythe on it. "Who's is this?"

"Marluxia's," Lea replied, pulling out a bottle of deoderant and throwing it to him. "Spray that."

Sora caught the bottle and aimed it at the door before spraying. The door waiting a moment before sliding open with a dull creak. "It opens through smell?"

"Marluxia was the flower guy," Lea replied simply before walking in with E.V.E. "Is it in here?"

E.V.E scanned the room from her computer. "No. But it's close."

"It's gonna be a long night," Lea groaned.

-*IV*-

"Fuck!" Lea shouted, punching the wall.

"Calm down, I think I've got this," Sora said, hurriedly.

"_Well, don't tell the door that!_" Lea yelled angrily. "Luxord, you're a cheating bastard!"

-*IV*-

"I see a little silhouette of a man," Riku sang.

"Scaramouche, scaramouche," Xion added.

"Harmonize," Lea whispered.

"Will you do the Fandango?" Sora and Kairi sang together.

"Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me!" Lea sang in a tenor, mentally cursing Demyx.

-*IV*-

"You need to punch it harder!" Lea yelled at Sora.

"I know what I'm doing!" Sora said as he punched the door. "Who's door was this anyway?"

"Lexeaus, now _punch _it!"

Sora punched the door again, making his knuckles bleed slightly.

"Oh, you're useless!" Kairi groaned as she punched the door with all her might. It slid open. "See? Easy."

The boys stared in awe as she entered the room. Xion merely giggled.

-*IV*-

"Alright, they're all plugged in," Riku said as he flicked on a plug socket.

Before the group was a large network of fans in front of Xaldin's door. Lea finished setting one up and began switching them on. "I hated this guy," he muttered.

-*IV*-

"Ok, last door," Riku said.

"Why did Vexen's door need a raccoon?" Kairi asked with a baffled look on her face. "Why does the Castle _have _a raccoon?"

"I've learned not to question," Lea replied, wiping paint off his face. "Xemnas' door is the hardest."

"What opens it?" Sora asked.

"Nothing," Lea replied. "You have to think of...nothing. Xemnas was very good at that."

"Well that's just typical of Xemnas."

One by one the Keybearers stood in front of the door, trying to clear their heads. Surprisingly, thinking of nothing was harder than even Lea expected. Sora couldn't get the thoughts of his last trip to the World That Never Was out of his head, Kairi was too busy worrying about Lux Vera and Lea had a hard time letting go of the memories he had of the place. Riku came the closest, but the door slammed shut as soon as he started thinking about the door opening.

Xion was the last to step forward. As she approached the door she narrowed her eyes before closing them, emptying her mind from all thoughts good and bad. She could hear the door slowly creak open but blocked the sound from her mind. She stayed there for several minutes until she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"It's done," Lea said. "Good job."

Xion opened her eyes and gave a sigh of relief. "Let's just hope it's in there," she said, walking into the room with E.V.E.

"It's definitely in here," the AI said, scanning the empty room.

Sora and the others walked in, finding only a bed and small bookshelf in the white-grey bedroom. Sora felt cold as he stood there, knowing the evil that was thought up in the room. He couldn't help but feel like he was being watched, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that the World That Never Was gave off.

"It'll be alright," Kairi said, squeezing Sora's hand. "He's not coming back this time."

"I know..." Sora replied, resting his head on her shoulder. "I know."

"Found it!" Xion said, pulling a dusty old book from under the bed. "'_A Fallen Captain-General'. _Sounds like a laugh."

Lea smirked then looked up. "Alright, Vincent, we found it. Care to do anything?"

After a moment A.D.A.M came flying towards them, pausing before them. "Master Vincent would like to congratulate you on your victory in the contest. You may keep the book. We will be seeing you again very soon."

-*IV*-

_**Lanes Between**_

_**Gummi Ship**_

E.V.E. deciphered the book, watched over by Lea. Sora and Riku was busy playing table tennis while Kairi was sat on the sofa with Xion watching TV. Something bugged Kairi and she was unable to shake the feeling they were being used.

"What if it was a trick?" Kairi asked eventually.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked back.

"Why did Vincent and that robot let us go with the book? I mean, they're not exactly weak and if they wanted the book why didn't the fight us for it when we found it?"

"Don't worry about it," Xion said with a smile.

"Unless...they _wanted _us to take it..."

"Hey, Kairi," Xion said in a quiet, dark tone. "Shut up."

Kairi blinked as Xion grinned, before going to the kitchen area. A shiver went up her spine. Kairi suddenly had a feeling she was correct.


	42. 41) Fierce Wait! New Chapter Arrives!

**A/N: **Look at my new profile picture :D I have an official profile picture now! Yaay!

Also...new chapter. Exposition chapter. If you don't know who certain characters are, go read Broken and Beyond. Don't read KHIII. Please don't.

Also, also. If you're a fan of _Destiny _check out my new _Destiny _fanfiction.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Thefollowing is a non-profit fanfiction. _Kingdom Hearts _and _Final Fantasy _are owned by Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company, Tetsuya Nomura and Hironobu Sakaguchi. I only own OCs. Please support the official release.

**Arc: **Heartless Lord

**41: **New Players

_**Mysterious Tower**_

King Mickey stood in the large study of Master Yen Sid. The old wizard had become increasingly on edge since Lux Vera began making moves and the King could tell he was becoming extremely worried. It had been a long time since Mickey and his former teacher had had a one on one conversation and Mickey had a strange feeling he wasn't going to enjoy it. Yen Sid was never one to beat around the bush.

"Are you going to tell me we're waitin' for?" Mickey asked his former mentor.

"Tell me, Mickey," Yen Sid asked, still approaching the King the way a teacher would approach a student. "What do you know of the six Realms?"

"Well, er...there's the Realm of Light, where we all live, there's the Realm of Darkness where the Heartless reside. There's the Realm of Nothingness and the Realm Inbetween, where Twilight Town and Traverse Town are, the Realm of Sleep which is a limbo for the other worlds." Mickey counted them off on his fingers, face faltering. "I only count five."

Yen Sid smiled knowingly. "There is a sixth Realm: a Realm that exists _outside _the natural laws of our universe. It is home to group of people that keep watch over our universe, and the different variations of it."

"I know parallel universes exist," Mickey replied, deep in thought. "Your teaches taught me that, but..._outside _reality? How is that possible?"

"By existing simultaneously as a pocket reality in _every _variation," Yen Sid replied. "It is called the Realm Beyond, and it's ruler knows far more than I about the situation we are in. Now, please, my student." Yen Sid motioned to a nearby chair. "Have a seat."

Mickey sat down on the small chair, facing the door. After a moment of silence a small breeze filled Yen Sid's office. Mickey wondered where it was coming from as the windows were closed and no wind existed in the Mysterious Tower's space anyway. The breeze quickly developed into a gale, scattering papers and dislodging books from their shelves. The King watched in amazement as a large orange crack opened in the middle of the room.

Out of the crack stepped a tall boy in his early twenties. He had long, spiked crimson hair and two small black horns coming from his temples. His eyes were blood red and his attire consisted of a grey hoodie accented with red and black and dark blue jeans with black Converse-styled shoes.

Following him was a tanned boy with long deep maroon hair, tied back into a small ponytail down his back with a spiked fringe wearing smart black shoes, smart trousers and a black jacket zipped all the way up to the top. Sheathed in his belt was a single sword.

Next out was a short girl with bobbed, dirty blonde hair, furious emerald eyes and glasses. She was wearing a purple hoodie, torn midi shorts and ripped black leggings. On her back was a holstered, comically oversized shotgun.

Mickey looked at the trio, dumbfounded.

"Hi," the crimson haired boy said sheepishly.

Finally out the portal stepped and an incredibly tall man. He head greying brown hair and a small grey beard. He was sharply dressed in a grey pinstripe suit and fedora, giving him the appearance of a New York gangster, but his eyes gave only kindness.

"Yen Sid, my old friend," the man said warmly. "It has been far too long."

"Lord Firewinde, it is a pleasure," Yen Sid smiled, motioning to a chair.

"Do we get a chair?" the tanned boy asked cheekily as the man, Firewinde, sat down.

"Antex, behave!" the girl snapped.

Mickey looked at his mentor confused. "Forgive me, Master, but...who are these?"

"You must be King Mickey," Firewinde said. "Yen Sid has told me a lot about you in our previous meetings."

Mickey laughed nervously. "I haven't done much."

"You saved Aqua. How is she, by the way?"

"How do you...? Never mind that, who are you?"

"Ah, forgive me," Firewinde said apologetically. "I was getting ahead of myself. I am Firewinde, Lord and Overseer of the World's Watchtower. These are my students, Shadow, Antex and Kaye."

"Pleasure," the three of them said in unison.

Mickey stared at the four strangers. Despite their relaxed, calm and overly casual demeanours he could sense a great amount of power from them, power that would easily dwarf Xehanort if he were still around. Their presence prompted Mickey to have more questions than answers but he knew that there was a time and a place for them.

So he started from the beginning.

"How have Lux Vera become so powerful?" Mickey asked finally.

Firewinde mulled over the answer in his mind. "Since the First Keyblade War the Worlds have been locked away behind barriers. Xehanort's first steps in his plan fourteen years weakened them, but it was the meddling in world affairs that caused the barriers to break."

"We weren't meddling!" Mickey protested.

"Whether you did it for the right reasons or not, you, Sora, Riku and all the others have travelled to multiple Worlds and disrupted the balance," Firewinde said, stern but not angry. "The balance _you_tried to preserve. You can't take multiple Keybearers around the Realm of Light and not expect to have repercussions. For better or worse."

Mickey looked down for a moment. "So you're saying it's our fault?"

"No," Shadow replied. "Xehanort would've shattered the barriers himself, and _that _would've caused more problems. You did yourselves a favour."

"Regardless," Firewinde interjected. "The Worlds have returned to their proper states."

"_Proper _states?" Mickey repeated.

"What? You think the Worlds were meant to be separated?" Kaye laughed. "Idiot."

"Be nice, Kaye," Antex sighed.

"Whatever."

Both of them earned a slap from Shadow. Firewinde, however, ignored his quarrelling students and continued. "The barriers were Kingdom Hearts' last efforts to protect the Realm of Light from darkness. But it didn't have enough power to remove them. Now they have been removed, Lux Vera has picked up on the confusion and ran with it, twisting events to their advantage. All to gain an army."

"An army for what?" Mickey asked, worried.

"I have seen a dark future for this universe, and at the heart of it I see Zero," Firewinde said gravely.

"Can't you stop him?"

"The World Masters have...negative effects on the natural order of things," Antex explained. "We only interfere if someone becomes a threat to _all _universes. Sorry."

"Right...so, it's up to us...how do we stop them?"

"Beat them at their own game," Firewinde advised. "I can leave Kaye, Shadow and Antex here but you have to be the ones to do this. While Sora and the others continue fighting Lux Vera directly, you go to the Worlds and tell them of the _true _heroes of this universe."

Mickey nodded. "I understand, I'll get right too it."

Firewinde smiled before turning to his students. "You three protect the U.W.A meeting. I doubt Zero will let that go smoothly."

"You got it," Shadow grinned, opening a red portal and jumping through it with the others.

"Mickey if you could leave Lord Firewinde and I," Yen Sid said. "There are things we need to discuss in private."

"Of course!" Mickey said.

The King left the two of them and headed out of the tower, flying off on his Keyblade glider to the nearest World to warn them of the dangers ahead.


End file.
